


This One Summer

by ink_asunder



Series: A witch at Kamar-Taj [1]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Binding magic, Dark Dimension, Dragon!Ancient One, Dream Dimension, Familiars, Forbidden Magic, Shapeshifting, Spoilers, True Names, Unreliable Narrator, a witch in Kamar-Taj, because I like unconventional fanfiction, dragon magic, lots of old-fashioned magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-06-10 10:59:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 107,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15290052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ink_asunder/pseuds/ink_asunder
Summary: When an inexperienced witch is pursued by violent, otherworldly entities, she turns to Kamar-Taj for help. However, coming from a different school of thought and possessing her own mediocre talents make her stay at the sanctuary indefinite and challenging. Regardless, the Ancient One continues to teach her, if only for whatever entertaining events ensue.





	1. Arrival

**Whispers**

Not even a week after Stephen Strange arrived at Kamar-Taj, the whispers of another American student began circulating through the halls. Stephen didn’t concern himself with what he overheard; he was here to learn, not socialize. However, a few of the things he overheard, admittedly, piqued his interest from time to time.

“Another American?” someone would murmur. “Did they come together?”

“No,” came the reply. “Master Mordo told me they come from very... different schools of thought. This girl apparently already knew magic before coming here.”

“You’re kidding!”

Another group of novices that had the same spellcasting theory class as this girl had rather unpleasant opinions about the girl’s attitude.

“No, she can’t be related to him; she’s modest, at least in a material sense. But when it comes to spellcasting, she’s as arrogant as they come. They’re two sides of the same coin, that Strange and Grace.”

“You’d think the Ancient One wouldn’t have let them in at all, after all that’s happened recently.”

“I hear she was a Pagan before coming here. One of those Wiccans.”

“Wiccans?”

“Yes. I have no earthly idea how she managed to gain favor of the Ancient One by going on and on about three-fold laws and freedom of... sexual affairs.”

“How obscene! At least she doesn’t spew that nonsense in class. Imagine--something like her learning here amidst all of us. She’ll be gone in a week, I guarantee it.”

And why were these students so driven to gossip about this girl? Well, when Stephen caught his first glimpse of the girl, he understood why this new girl was so compelling. She was in his spellcasting class. He didn’t realize it was her at first because she was neither incompetent enough nor prodigal enough to stand out in class. No, her compelling behaviors began out of class during her free time.

Stephen finally recognized the strange new student between classes. The girl perched on a bench beneath a tree that had blue flowers on the crown. She picked quietly at a shamisen in her hands, stopping every now and then to look up.

“I don’t think it’s that bad,” she was talking. Talking to whom? No one was there. “They fear her because she’s so powerful. She’s so cool; I wish I could talk to her. But she’s busy a lot, so I don’t want to bother her. What am I supposed to say anyway? ‘Hi, I’m young and questioning my sexuality. Wanna grab a Starbucks at two in the morning’? Be reasonable.”

“Is she talking to a tree?” Stephen squinted at the girl. Mordo followed his gaze for a moment.

“Yes,” the master replied. “At first, we considered scolding her for it; although she may be unaware, she’s using magic to encourage the plants. It’s outside the natural law and a trifle fancy, surely, but the Ancient One had only nice things to say about it, so we leave her be.”

“So, I take it she’s the Ancient One’s favorite?” he asked, shifting his eyes off the girl. “She seems pretty magic-savvy, but she’s cocky. Why is her magic working for her, whilst mine is still indefinite?”

“Everyone learns at a different pace,” Mordo replied. “And the Ancient One favors no one; Hazel is simply a... special case.”

“How special?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard your fellow students talk about Hazel’s magical background?”

“Yeah, she was Pagan, wasn’t she?”

“In a way,” he shrugged as they continued walking. “She couldn’t conjure anything, but she could manipulate the world around her in very subtle ways--keeping a cup of tea hot for several hours, for example. She came here to learn more about magic to temper her fundamental talent for it, but she only has a short time to learn here, so we’re working around her schedule as needed.”

“Oh?” Stephen could tell Mordo was leaving something out--something vital. “I didn’t know summer classes were a thing here.”

“They’re not, usually. But as I said before, Hazel wishes to learn, and if we’d turned her away, she would’ve sought counsil from other magical practitioners--ones who may or may not have... an ethical moral code. The Ancient One thought it best to help her for a season rather than let her go astray.”

“And you don’t think Hazel manipulated her?” Stephen narrowed his eyes. He didn’t know the Ancient One as well as he wanted to, but he didn’t think she’d take on a student for a mere summer for a reason like that.

Mordo chuckled. “The Ancient One can’t be manipulated, let alone by someone as meager as Hazel Grace. However, I must say, Hazel was quite charismatic, in her own way. She knows very old customs, and knows her boundaries almost too well.”

Whatever that meant, Stephen didn’t care. He had other things to worry about.

 

**Arrival**

Hazel had arrived at Kamar-Taj a couple days ago. On that day, Daniel Drumm, Master of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum, located Hazel Grace in New York and brought her to Kamar-Taj through the gateway. The girl was younger than he’d expected, but she was over eighteen and as such could do as she pleased without causing any trouble legal or otherwise. The man she was staying with over the summer--an arrogant prick with a rather high standing in the world--was the one to see Hazel off. They agreed to keep this between them, and not involve the girl’s parents until the end of the summer.

Mordo collected Hazel at the gateway. She was withdrawn but polite when she greeted him, but there was a look to her--perhaps in her wild hair or the way her sharp brown eyes took in the world around her as if she saw it the way no one else could. There was something young and strong in her, something that could become quite powerful when well-tempered.

She was brought to the Ancient One. The girl surveyed the courtyards and corridors thoroughly. Kamar-Taj wasn’t lavish or fancy, but in Hazel’s mind, the beauty and finesse and age of the place outshone any structure she’d ever seen. On the other hand, a sort of life and flexibility imbued the air. She watched the students and masters, children and adults, pass them by.

“It’s evening here,” Hazel stated, watching the setting sun out the windows.

“Yes,” Mordo nodded. “The time change from New York to Kathmandu can be sudden when traveling by gateway. Are you doing alright?”

He knew apprehension haunted the girl. Actually, many newcomers startled at the disorienting changes between Kamar-Taj and the rest of the world.

“Just don’t leave me anywhere,” Hazel murmured.

Mordo wasn’t sure what to think or say as he showed Hazel inside. When he escorted Stephen Strange to Kamar-Taj a few days ago, he knew Strange was arrogant and thought he knew everything there was to know about where he was going. Now, Hazel seemed to be the complete opposite. She was little and shy, but Mordo could tell she knew Kamar-Taj was a powerful place, yet she didn’t grovel like a naive child who believed in palm-reading and paper fortune tellers. She knew magic, even if she didn’t believe that she did.

The thick scent of incense somehow reminded Hazel of a binding ward she’d seen once. Powerful magic pervaded these halls, and Hazel knew better than to act proud in the shadows of such a place. Her uneasiness only grew in the presence of the Ancient One. She allowed her coat to be taken, but didn’t speak. All these master sorcerers were so powerful; she couldn’t locate the strongest one. Even then, perhaps the strongest practitioner wasn’t the leader. Who was she here to see? She stared at the ground, waiting for someone--anyone elder to her--to speak.

Then someone offered her a cup of tea. Hazel took the tea, but didn’t drink. Her gaze drifted up, as if she couldn’t help herself. Pale, slender hands, willowy arms disappearing into the sleeves of a grey robe. A shaven head bent over Hazel’s cup. The head raised, revealing aged features, pointed but not pointy, like icicles catching rays of winter sun. And her eyes--almond-shaped, not quite blue, not quite green, not quite grey.

“Don’t be afraid,” the woman said. “We won’t attack you, without reason.”

Hazel stared at this woman as if she’d never seen the sun before. Her hands felt numb and light, but she was as steady as ever; she felt relieved, excited, awed, and absolutely terrified. She opened her mouth, as if to speak, but quickly held her tongue and glanced back at Mordo. The man nodded and introduced them.

“The Ancient One,” he said, even though he was sure she already knew that. Hazel quickly looked back at the woman, her lips sealed patiently shut. The Sorcerer Supreme wasn’t anything like Hazel had expected, but that didn’t change the fact that Hazel stood before a very powerful, very real sorcerer. A ghost of a smile graced the Ancient One’s lips.

“I’m glad to see you, Hazel Grace.”

Hazel exhaled, her shoulders sagging slightly, as she spoke up.

“Did you call me?” Hazel asked, watching the woman move to a low table to prepare another cup of tea.

“I was expecting you,” the other corrected gently. “If that’s what you mean.”

“I-I appreciate you seeing me,” she bowed her head.

“You’re very welcome,” the other returned before preparing another cup of tea for herself. “You waited for the elder to speak first. Not many who seek me out are as polite as you are. Most are surprised at one thing or another.”

The Ancient One’s eyes found Hazel’s, and the girl felt herself blush. She couldn’t even stutter out a reply before the elder continued speaking.

“Of course, not many who seek me out are already learned in the mystic arts.”

Hazel still didn’t drink, but her smile was coy. “Then you know why I’m here?”

“Yes,” the Ancient One seemed disappointed for a moment, then remembered herself. Of course Hazel didn’t come all this way for some idle conversation with an old sorceress. “You have a magical problem that you think I can fix.”

“Can you?” Hazel asked.

“It depends,” the other glanced up at her. “What do you want me to do?”

“Well...” Hazel followed the Ancient One with her eyes as the elder moved to hand Mordo a cup of tea. The other two looked at Hazel expectantly. “That’s... kind of a long story.”

The Ancient One smiled. “We have time. Would you be more comfortable if we sit down?”

She motioned to the low table. Hazel agreed, and once they were all settled, she took a deep breath and began her long story.

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve seen things that no one else does. Otherworldly creatures, for one. These... things would appear and disappear at random, but I usually saw them when I was alone, so I thought it was an effect of social isolation, maybe depression, but I didn’t think they were real. However, at the beginning of the summer, my cousin, who I’m staying with, told me that there were unidentified heat signitures showing up around the house, in the showers, under beds, anywhere that I would see one of these otherworldly things. Knowing they were real didn’t change much. In fact, I wasn’t going to do anything about it, but it’s recently gotten out of hand.”

Hazel extended her arms and rolled up her sleeves, showing bruises and scratches on her soft flesh.

“Some of these things have always acted violently. I thought they were just nightmares until now. These things are... they.... Do you know what sleep paralysis is?”

She waited for the others to nod. Her heart raced, her hands shook. She felt completely stupid--did they even believe her?

“It always happens when I’m asleep. I sleepwalk, I lucid dream, whatever. Then these things attack me, they... it feels like they take me somewhere else. Somewhere like our world, but.... I mean, I thought they were just nightmares is all....”

She trailed off, lowering her arms and wringing her hands uncertainly. She shouldn’t have come here. She didn’t have a place here. The Ancient One surprised her by continuing the conversation.

“Then you stabbed yourself,” the woman prompted. Hazel looked up and nodded.

“When I’m asleep, the only way to wake up from these dreams is to kill myself,” Hazel explained slowly, certainly. “Then one night, I was being pursued by these things. I found out I wasn’t actually asleep. That’s why my cousin has been looking for someone to help me.”

“Why come here?” Mordo asked. “If you wanted to be exorcised, I’m sure there are several able and easily accessible--”

“Not to be rude, but don’t mistake my reason for coming here,” Hazel shook her head quickly. “For every bad experience, there are ten good ones, I promise. Sometimes, I invite things into my house as Guests. I prepare tea and entertainment for them--I read or sing or play a game for them. If I gain their favor, they’re really nice to me and show me how to do cool things.”

“'Cool’ things?” Mordo raised his eyebrows. The Ancient One smirked.

“Like how to keep tea warm for a long time?” she pointed to Hazel’s cup, which was still steaming despite being untouched for several minutes. Hazel nodded.

“Atashan morah,” Hazel murmured, her voice lilting as she spoke in a tongue foreign to Mordo. “Patience. Exude it, encourage it, ask for it politely, and the tea will soon forget to cool down.”

Mordo examined the cup of tea more closely.

“I don’t want to exorcise anything,” the girl concluded. “I just want to know how to control the Guests and myself, so I could maybe pick and choose who comes to see me or defend myself if something hostile attacks me again. So, what can you do for me?”

The masters exchanged a glance, then the Ancient One retrieved a book from a stack on the table. She flipped open to a page displaying the Eastern map of the body. Hazel didn’t look bored, but she knew that already.

“Of course, you already know that much,” the Ancient One grinned as she flipped to a pages on acupuncture, MRI scans... hedgecraft. Hazel visibly straightened. “As you can see, even your previous experience has a place in my teachings. Every page of this book is a part of the whole. That is what I teach. With this, I can teach you a new understanding of magic; I could teach you to conjure portals and shields, wards for protection and banishing. That, and, under the tutelage of the masters here at Kamar-Taj, you could come to know more about magic than you ever could on your own.”

It sounded too good to be true. Hazel squinted. “If I stay here, what will you do to me?”

Mordo and the Ancient One looked confounded by her question.

“I’m sorry?” the woman asked.

“Initiation?” Hazel prompted. “Blood sacrifice? Demonic rituals? Drinking the blood of the Kamar-Taj mascot?”

As Hazel went on, the Ancient One glanced at Mordo in horror, only to find the man staring at Hazel in an equal amount of concern. The woman made an effort to calm herself before addressing Hazel’s... outlandish concern.

“This is a sanctuary, not a cult. With your past experiences, I understand your wariness, but please disregard it. Our teachings focus around peace, healing, and protection; there’s no place here for drinking the blood of monkeys and practicing demonic magic of any kind here.”

“And when will I be able to leave?”

“Normally, I ask my students to devote their whole being to our practice, but I’m willing to make an exception in your case. You’re a medium, and a quite powerful one, but I think after learning what you need, you’ll be free to return to your old life whenever you wish.”

She said it with unmistakable disappointment. Hazel felt her stomach sour with guilt. She wanted to apologize, but she couldn’t devote herself to just any group. The Ancient One knew that; that’s why she didn’t push the matter. She didn’t want Hazel getting scared off.

Hazel’s shoulders sagged. “Thank you. Really.”

That was the first time Hazel dared to establish a debt owed. She’d stay. The Ancient One nodded to Mordo.

“Master Mordo, will you show our new student to her room, please? She’s had a long journey; I’m sure she’d like to settle in.”

“Of course, Ancient One,” Mordo bowed his head and led Hazel away.

 

**Room**

“You’ll be in a room by the student’s dormitories,” he explained as he guided her through the halls. “Kamar-Taj is surrounded by protective wards, so your... Guests shouldn’t be able to breach the property on their own. Any that you invite, however, will be your responsibility.”

“Alright.”

The room was modest. Exposed brick walls and old furniture made up the space. A window with incense on the sill on the right-hand side of the room allowed light to illuminate the earthy room. It was perfect. Hazel saw altars, pedestals, and hiding places in every corner.

“Dinner will be in two hours, if you’re interested,” Mordo informed her. “In the meantime, rest, settle in. Meditate, if you can.”

“No.”

He glanced up at her, a match still lit in his hands. 

“My apologies,” he tried to appease her, even if he wasn’t wrong about anything. “I thought Wiccans also practiced expanding one’s conscious though meditation.”

“They do,” Hazel stated. “But I’m not Wiccan.” She perched on the bed with one leg tucked under her and turned her head elegantly to look at him. “Expanding my consciousness is a one-way ticket to another hellish attack. Not yet.”

“I see,” Mordo bowed his head. Maybe he had been wrong about her. “Then rest. Here.”

He handed her a slip of paper with the word ‘Shamballa’ written on it.

“A fancy bookmark,” Hazel smiled in exaggerated enthusiasm.

“The wi-fi password,” Mordo corrected her, turning to leave. “We’re not savages.”

She waited until he’d closed the door behind him before reasserting, “A fancy bookmark....”

Hazel looked out the window. A dog padded around the alleyway below. It was no country view, but Hazel couldn’t deny that she felt an odd sense of content in the ugliest place she’d ever lived in.

“H.E.R.M.E.S.,” she took a device from her pocket and spoke to it. It spoke back.

“Forgive me, Miss Grace. The sudden change in coordinates confused me. Is it nighttime now?”

“Yes,” Hazel nodded. “Tell him I made it safe and sound and I’ll be staying here for a while.”

“Yes, Miss Grace. And you parents?”

“Hi, Mom,” Hazel mocked. “Guess what? I’m a witch and I followed some complete strangers to this Tibetan cult dojo where I’ll be learning how to control demonic forces. How does that sound?”

“Message sent,” Hermes confirmed.

“What?! No!”

“Only joking, Miss Grace. Your mother won’t hear a word from me.”

“That was mean, Hermes,” Hazel made a sound as her chest trembled, but she couldn’t call the sound a laugh.

 

“I assume our new student has settled in?” the Ancient One asked once Mordo returned to her. The woman was kneeling at a table, scribbling in a large book.

“Yes, she’s... quite the character,” Mordo remembered Hazel’s change in behavior, how she went from timid and reserved to slightly arrogant simply by leaving the presence of the Ancient One. She knew power when she saw it, but asserted herself as if she had power of her own.

“You’re surprised at something...”

“I’m surprised at several things,” Mordo corrected her. “First, this... thing comes to find us--a thing neither human, nor witch--and then she’s allowed to live among us without a promise to adopt our ways. Secondly, I expected more from you.”

“More?”

He looked amused. “Well, you rarely take in a student of her disposition without either amazing or terrifying them first.”

The Ancient One smirked, remembering just a few days ago when she sent Doctor Stephen Strange careening through a vortex of dimensions. “In truth, I didn’t want to scare her away. You heard her perception of us--drinking blood and the like. She’s shy, but she has a raw power inside her that I wish to refine. A power like hers in the hands of any other... might cause destruction.”

“She couldn’t level a wobbling Jenga tower with her power,” Mordo argued. “What would really be at risk if you let her go?”

“She.”

 


	2. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hazel meets some characters around Kamar-Taj and finds an intriguing book in the Ancient One's collection.

**Library**

Hazel fell into a routine at Kamar-Taj. She rose with the sun and attended breakfast at eight with the rest of the students. From there, she had a couple classes throughout the day and two more meals provided to her. In her free time, she wandered, mostly, talking to plants and orienting herself around the place. Spellcasting and spell theory classes were part of her daily schedule. After that, it was to the library with her; she needed more information on these Guests of hers. She gave the shelves a cursory look before approaching the librarian.

“Can you tell me where I could find bestiaries, please?”

The man looked up and gave her a curt smile. She hoped she wasn’t bothering him.

“You’re Hazel,” he greeted. “The Ancient One has told me about you.”

“Yeah... and, you are?”

“Wong,” he introduced himself. He led her to a table with a small stack of books already on it. “I assume you’re here to identify your... Guests.” He glanced at her. “So I collected a few bestiaries covering things native to American territories. I wasn’t sure what exactly we’re looking for.”

“Would it help if I had pictures?” Hazel asked. Wong looked surprised.

“It would,” he nodded, and Hazel began fishing in her bag. “You’ve been able to take pictures of these Guests? All of them?”

“Well, I drew them,” Hazel replied a bit sheepishly, setting a worn sketchbook on the table and flipping it open. “I know it’s not as good as a photograph, but it’ll give us an idea.”

Wong thumbed through a few loose pages that she’d folded between the pages of her own collection. She wasn’t the most talented artist he’d seen, but her sketches and paintings were adequately detailed for identifying the subjects.

“No, this is perfect,” he nodded to her and began searching for matching entries in one of the library's bestiaries. Hazel moved to do the same. After a few minutes of carrying on like this, Wong found a beast in Hazel’s book that he recognized.

“These must be a Poyavlyashka, or ‘Appearling,’” Wong said as he looked over one of Hazel’s drawings. The subject looked like a pile of leaves with pale, thin legs sticking out beneath. “Bormot recorded sightings of similar beasts. We should have it.”

“Where can I find it?” Hazel was the first to push away from the table.

“Last row, to the left,” Wong directed, appeased to see that she was so eager to help. However, before he sent her out to retrieve a book on her own, he gave her a stern glare. “If any harm comes to these books, even the Ancient One couldn’t protect you.”

Hazel bobbed her head. “Don’t worry. I’d hang me if I damaged a book.”

He nodded in approval as she turned on her heel to search the area. She wandered quietly, peering at the tall shelves in wonder. She found a collection of bestiaries from different countries and eras, but she couldn’t bear to settle for the ones on the lower shelves; Bormot’s Bestiary found itself on a high shelf just out of her reach. Hazel stretched and jumped until another voice startled her.

“Don’t you know a levitation spell or something, shorty?”

She whipped around and glared at her onlooker; Stephen Strange, that American Hazel's peers asked her about.

“Here, let me get it,” he reached the book with ease, the bastard, gave it a cursory scan, and handed it to her. “Can you read Russian?”

“I’m mostly in it for the pictures,” Hazel replied. “Could you get me that one too?”

She didn’t need it, she just needed to assert dominance.

“Here.”

She stared at his scarred, shaking hands as he did as requested. Stephen fidgeted, all but shoving the book at her and hiding his hands back in the folds of his robes.

“God, do all kids have manners like yours?” he demanded. He could see why her peers didn’t get along with her.

“Sorry,” she started. “I was just... sorry.”

She turned and left, face burning and legs shuddering like vats of jelly. She returned to the table and set the bestiaries out and open to look through. Wong glanced at her, noticing her change in mood, but didn’t press her. He took one of the books and began looking through it.

“Here it is,” he set it out for her to see. The pages contained sketches of similar leaf-creatures and limited notes.

“Looks about right,” Hazel took out her phone and took a picture of the page. “H.E.R.M.E.S., translate for me, please.”

The AI spoke up in a hushed tone. “Appear-ling. Ranging from two to seven feet tall. Most commonly seen during the harvest season. Passive unless provoked. Fears flame.”

“Flame, huh?” Hazel frowned. “Does it say anything about voices? Like, does the Appear-ling talk at all?”

“There are no references to the Appear-ling having the ability to speak,” Hermes replied in a solemn tone. “But these notes seem cursory at best. Perhaps Bormot didn’t have enough experience with these Appear-lings?”

Hazel looked to Wong for confirmation, but the librarian looked, if possible, bleaker than before.

“All of Bormot’s otherworldly research is poorly summarized,” he explained, turning a few pages to show that the entire bestiary was sparse. “The old scientist was reclusive, and only began seeing these things as he went mad from isolation.”

Hazel pursed her lips. "Not sure how to feel about that. At least I’m not alone. Let’s keep looking.”

Wong watched her. She was a spirited one, in spite of her circumstances.

“You’re resolute,” he praised. Hazel seemed to mistake his tone, by the way she stiffened and looked up sheepishly. “That’s good.”

“Oh?” she raised one eyebrow a little.

“Why don’t you attend my class on advanced mystical creatures? You might not find what you’re looking for, but you seem willing and able to learn from advanced sources.”

“I’d like that. Thank you,” she smiled at him.

Hazel’s elation quickly burned out when another man joined them at the desk.

“Stephen,” Wong greeted.

“Yes,” Strange replied as he set a stack of books on the desk on top of Hazel’s scattered papers. Hazel politely tried gathering her pictures to ensure minimal damages as Wong checked over the books Stephen handed in.

“You finished all these?” Wong asked.

“Yep.”

“Come with me.” Wong glanced at Hazel. “Hazel, you too.”

Wong led Hazel and Stephen to another room of the library, where tomes hung on hexagonal racks.

“This is the master’s section of the library. However, under my discretion, others may use it. Strange.”

As Wong located a few books for Stephen, Hazel glanced around, breath-taken by the power she felt radiating through the room. There were things in this section that she could not even begin to understand.

“What are those?” Stephen asked. Hazel followed his gaze to a collection of noticeably more cryptic tomes mounted on the highest row of the last rack.

“That’s the Ancient One’s private collection,” Wong replied.

“So they’re forbidden?” Stephen grinned.

“No knowledge is forbidden in Kamar-Taj. Only certain practices.”

“Like blood magic,” Hazel muttered, fingering the chains on one of the racks. Wong gave her a sharp look, so she dropped her gaze and her hand. She scanned the collection, seeing if there was anything of interest.

“This one’s got pages missing....”

Hazel’s eyes settled on a tome with a familiar word in a strange language on it. Dahmaan.

“Dahmaan...” Hazel muttered. She knew that word as it and many others formed in a line in her head, as if a voice only she could hear whispered quietly to her. Dahmaan, Kruziik. Dahmaan lein ni hiin. Dahmaan lein saal hi los fin Vokun.

“Well, thank you for the book, and the threat upon my life,” Stephen’s sharp voice brought Hazel back to the present.

Wong turned to Hazel and handed her a book. “Your new textbook.”

“Thanks,” she took it absentmindedly, still stricken with wonder for the old tome. “What’s that one?”

He glanced at it. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

“Come on,” she pestered as he began walking away. “Dahmaan means remembrance, right? Giin rotispar los dahmaan. To recall, even when forgiven?”

He stopped in his tracks and gave her a warning look.

“I thought no knowledge was forbidden,” she grinned. A cynical part of her was overjoyed whenever the masters of the sanctuary would stare at her in shock and reproach as she revealed her own knowledge of something they didn't support.

“Not forbidden to masters,” Wong rephrased his statement, trying to urge her along. “And speaking in dragontongue is a practice--there is magic in a word, and each word has more weight to it than you understand. You’re far too young to maintain the effects of such a practice.”

“Dragons, huh?” Hazel scoffed, as if she believed in such a thing, but didn’t believe she’d be led astray.

“Only the strong in spirit and mind should involve themselves with dragons,” Wong warned seriously. Hazel’s smile vanished, replaced by a thoughtful wariness. “With your current situation, you’re lucky to be in the same room as such a book.”

Hazel ducked her head and followed him back to the main section of the library.

 

**Sling Ring**

Stephen saw Hazel again during Mordo’s sling ring class. After showing adequate skill in spellcasting, Hazel was, strangely enough, a bit of a disappointment during sling ring drills. Everyone expected her to pass the class with flying colors, but, whether it be from sheer incompetence or holding herself back, Hazel couldn’t conjure a spark. Mordo watched her intently, trying to see what she was doing wrong; she was going through the motions and seemed focused. Actually, she seemed too focused; her gaze didn't falter or stray despite her lack of success. So why was she having trouble? Mordo was surprised to see Stephen reach out to her.

“Here,” the doctor tried directing her. “Like this--”

“Don’t,” Hazel jerked her hands out of his reach. She didn’t look at him. Mordo stood on the other side of her, giving Stephen a sympathetic but stern look. Chagrined but not staggered, Stephen focused forward again. Mordo was about to return his attention to Hazel to direct her more clearly, but the girl simply looked up and past him. He could tell by her sudden lack of focus that something had distracted her fatally. The master turned, seeing the Ancient One descending the stairs.

“And stop,” Mordo ordered the class, his gaze drifting about the group of students and back to the Ancient One.

“Master Mordo, if I could have Hazel for a moment?” she asked. Mordo nodded, and he and the rest of the class dispersed. Stephen lingered behind a pillar, eavesdropping on the conversation out of sight. He wanted to see what went on. Hazel had irritated him into wanting to see her get scolded. He was stooping this low, for god’s sake.

Hazel was petrified, terrified of being kicked out, terrified of being kept here. When the girl showed no sign of speaking first, the Ancient One initiated conversation.

“When I agreed to teach you, I thought it was clear that I expected you to try.” Her tone was effortlessly level despite her annoyance. She disliked confronting her students directly, instead preferring to let them address their own problems--or what they thought their problem was--and seek her out for guidance if they needed it. Hazel was polite, but... irritatingly so. “If anyone else I knew conjured a seven-part ward in a matter of three days and then failed to create a spark in a sling ring class, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

“.... Would you believe me if I said that there’s no other place I’d rather be?”

“No.”

Hazel looked down. “What if I don’t go where I want? What if it’s in that other dimension? I know the property is warded, but if we have a breach _inside_ the area, we’d....”

“I understand your concern, but sling rings don’t work that way. And even if they did, our masters could handle a wayward spirit or two. Hazel, if you don’t perform, you’ll never learn, and your time here will be a waste. I didn’t ask for your insecurities when I agreed to teach you. Remember that.”

A gentle gust of wind rose through the courtyard, like an exasperated sigh. Hazel’s knees turned in.

“Your next lesson starts soon.”

“Sorry.”

Stephen ducked as Hazel scurried past him. The Ancient One's behavior struck him as both unusually harsh and remarkably tame. Sure, she’d left him on Everest to freeze to death, but she’d never been so vocally demanding of anyone--at least not that he’d seen. Maybe this was how the Sorcerer Supreme decided to give Hazel a nudge in the right direction.

 

**Cat**

Hazel feared for her status. She'd always hated being scolded, as anyone did, but drawing the attention of the highest in the order multiplied her chagrin to an almost unbearable level. However, Hazel knew she was in the wrong. The Ancient One listened and taught, and it was Hazel’s responsibility to learn. But now that the Ancient One has spoken against her, Hazel would surely be cast out if she didn’t start showing results. She could do this, surely. But her new-found motivation couldn’t make up for what the Ancient One had said. What if the woman really thought Hazel was selfish or irritating or lazy? Hazel didn’t know why she cared; maybe it was because the Ancient One was direct and powerful, like many things Hazel encountered. Hazel knew power and respected it, but if she couldn't curry favor of an entity more powerful than her, she feared being taken advantage of. Just as her rogue Guests were doing now. She needed to be strong to protect herself. That’s why she’s here.

Or maybe Hazel cared too much because she was so totally enamored with this mysterious being. The elegant, gracious, ancient body of determination who had welcomed Hazel to this hidden sanctuary. And now Hazel was disappointing her. She couldn’t stand it. However, at the same time, she knew where she went wrong and what to do about it. She just needed to take a break to clear her head.

After asking directions from a few of the plants, gusts of wind and rattling wind-chimes soon led Hazel to a secluded area above the plazas, a small balcony with a shin-high wall bordering it, that overlooked a courtyard and the city and mountains beyond the boundaries of Kamar-Taj. She sat cross-legged on the small balcony and took a deep breath, feeling her anxiety shivering away from her like a shedding coat. It was quiet here.

Hazel didn’t know how long she was up there, staring at the stones and towers of Kamar-Taj, but she only looked up when a familiar, powerful presence joined her. She turned abruptly, expecting one of the masters or--heaven forbid--the Ancient One herself standing behind her, so the girl was a bit befuddled when she saw no more than a cat waltz onto the balcony and hop onto the low wall. The cat was white and spotted with molted, almost tortoise-shell patches. It held a small folded square of cloth in its mouth. A pocket square? The cat dropped it in Hazel’s lap for her and leapt onto the low wall. Hazel dried her eyes dismissively and examined the unfolded pocket square. Gold initials embroidered on the corner. “TAO.”

The cat looked right at Hazel, lowering its head and meowing serenely, as if in a formal greeting. Hazel grinned.

“Is that you, Ancient One?” she asked, more as a joke than anything.

The cat blinked and nodded. Hazel froze.

 

**Mordo warns Hazel of dragons**

Stephen noticed a change during combat class. Actually, everyone seemed affected by an unseen force. Each student seemed lighter on their feet, as if refreshed by something they couldn’t quite identify. Even the Ancient One was drawn to survey the matches as a result of this curious anomaly. Strange also noticed Hazel sitting out during class. She surveyed the others, contently polishing the staffs and racks to the side of the large courtyard, but didn’t interact with anyone.

“So, is she a part of the class?” he asked Mordo. He’d never seen a novice working, at least not during classes.

“No,” Mordo shook his head. “She just really likes to clean.”

“Why do you not sound happy about that?” Stephen loved people who loved to clean. It meant he didn’t have to clean.

“Surely you’ve noticed a change in everyone’s energy today.”

“Yeah, I... have....”

Mordo narrowed his eyes at the girl. “Another skill of hers. She calls it ‘brushing away negativity.’ It’s a cheap trick, no doubt originating from her Pagan background. But... it is helpful, and she truly works for it, so the Ancient One allows it.”

“So it’s true she knew magic before coming here,” Stephen stated, looking at the girl again. He felt an unsettling curiosity about the girl, particularly because he kept asking questions about her that no one knowledgeable was willing to answer. “So why is she here?”

“No more questions,” Mordo gestured to another student to spar with Strange, then made his way across the courtyard to Hazel.

“I’ll take that for you,” she held her hands out to collect an acolyte’s staffs.

“You sure you know how to clean this stuff?” the acolyte asked.

“Trust me,” she smiled. “I know my way around leather straps.”

Judging by the look of horror and embarrassment on the acolyte’s face, Hazel rethought what she said.

“What?” she asked. “No! It’s not what you think.”

“Oh?” the acolyte still withdrew. “S-sorry about that.”

And he ran. Hazel rolled her eyes and continued cleaning until Mordo interrupted her. She smirked.

“I guess I know which virgin I’m sacrificing tonight,” she stared after the acolyte for a moment with a narrowed-eyed gaze.

“Most of my students clean their own equipment,” Mordo brushed over her poor joke. “Who put you up to this?”

“No one,” she replied. “I offered.”

“Why? You’re not my student.”

“I’m a ranch girl,” she glanced up at him. “I’m a busy worker, even if I am lazy. Besides, being around people keeps the Guests deathly quiet.”

“Effects of social isolation,” Mordo recalled. “How are your Guests?”

“Quiet,” Hazel replied. “It could be the Ancient One, or it could be the barriers in the area keeping them out. It’s nice getting to sleep at night, but... I have to admit, I feel lonely. I mean, even the friendlier ones haven't come to visit me yet.”

Mordo watched her watch the bugs on the ground. She was a passive person, soft-spoken, and had an aloofness about her. Thoughtful, elegant, and a puzzle no one could figure out. Eccentric, one might say.

“I’m sure the other novices would enjoy your company,” Mordo suggested, examining her handiwork on the rack and weapons. She was thorough.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” she asked. He nodded once. “How’d you get here?”

“I asked the Ancient One for the strength to defeat my enemies,” he replied. “She taught me more. After all these years, it’s never occurred to me to return to my own selfish quest, and because of that,” he took a staff off the rack and turned it in his hands. “I follow the Ancient One’s teachings, and teach others to uphold her practice within the natural law.”

“She can’t turn into a cat, right?”

Mordo looked up at Hazel. From where she sat on the wall, Hazel could see the entire courtyard, but she was particularly drawn to the corner where the Ancient One stood surveying the sparring matches.

“Perhaps,” Mordo smirked, confident she'll say something interesting if he humored her. However, Hazel just seemed uncomfortable with his answer. “Little is known about the Ancient One, save that she’s Celtic and doesn’t like talking about herself.”

“I think she’s a witch.”

Mordo turned his head more slowly this time with a fatigued look on his face.

“The Ancient One?”

“Yeah,” Hazel glanced at the sorceress, then ducked her head and giggled like a school girl when she saw the woman glance over at them sharply. Mordo shook his head. Then the girl said something that startled him. “So why aren’t we allowed to speak dragontongue here?”

“How would you know that? Those who know dragon tongue are few and far between.” After a brief moment of shock, he composed himself, looking entertained at the idea of Hazel knowing such an ancient, powerful language. She tilted her head.

“Hi grah voth ahkrin, Mul Gein Joor.”

He glared at her, irritated, but he wasn’t sure why. Perhaps because she knew she wasn’t allowed to speak dragon tongue, but did so anyway just because she could. That, and she spat the word ‘joor’ with a certain disinterest that particularly frustrated him. She was an attentive student, but she had no place to hold herself higher than him when she couldn’t even throw a punch to save her life.

“Dragons are powerful, unpredictable creatures,” Mordo explained anyway. “They do not uphold the same standards that we do here at Kamar-Taj, so for the sake of safety, we don’t teach of their kind here. We don’t practice dragon-related magic, and we don’t speak in their tongue. Whoever does would surely be possessed by the spirit of dragons, and only the most powerful masters could control themselves once imbued with such force.”

“Oh,” she watched him, for once unaware as the Ancient One stared at her.

Mordo gave her a meaningful look. “We don’t practice binding magic here, Hazel. Or curses. Or simple fancies. We fight to uphold the natural law, not manipulate it. Remember that during your time at Kamar-Taj.”

She looked back down at her work. She might not agree with him; he expected a little resistance. But, he figured, she’d come around. She had to.

 


	3. The Main Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something trespasses on sanctuary grounds looking for Hazel. The Masters of the Mystic Arts get a better idea of what they're dealing with.

**The Breach**

On the tenth night she spent at Kamar-Taj, Hazel inexplicably woke up and was unable to go back to sleep. After lying in bed for a moment, she glanced at the clock by her bed.

2:56

Ah. So that’s how it was. Although she was in a different place, Hazel got out of bed, shrugged into her robe, and left her room. She felt a Guest--an unfriendly one at that, one she didn’t invite--enter here as definitely as one could hear the shattering of a window in another room. But the girl no longer had it in her to panic; she simply walked the halls, flashlight in hand, peering into each corner as she went. She passed through the empty kitchens and the library. Strange, this room is still lit. Wong--or something that just _looked_ like Wong--sat at the desk, reading a book that lied flat on the desk before him. The tortoise-shell cat rested on the desk, staring at the pages and blinking slowly.

Hazel drifted past and went right to the other room, walking so she didn’t draw attention to herself. However, little to Hazel’s realization, Wong had noticed, as he noticed anything amiss in the library. He followed the presence into the other room, recognizing Hazel in her astral form peering up at the Ancient One’s private collection. The librarian didn’t know she’d been studying astral projection, and he was cynically amused that she’d honestly use that power to try to sneak into the library late at night. He approached as she leapt up, floating cross-legged in the air right next to the _Tome of_ _Dahmaan_.

“Nice try, Hazel,” he started, making her jump. She looked down at him, seemingly terrified out of her wits, before fleeing the scene as quickly as she could. Wong didn’t pursue her; she wouldn’t be back here tonight. He’d talk with her--no, the Ancient One--about this tomorrow. Of all people, she should know of Hazel abusing what she’d been taught.

Hazel wasn’t surprised when she crossed paths with that tortoise-shell cat, who joined her in checking the shadows for the unwanted thing.

“It’s a game we play,” Hazel began after a moment of silence. Her tone was hushed, but her voice still seemed to fill the endless abyss of space they were in. “It’s kind of like hide and seek, but in this case, when you hide it’s not about being seen or not.”

The cat blinked at her quizzically.

“That’s why we’re walking,” Hazel explained. “The important thing is to just mind your own business and wait, then the game will end when the thing loses interest and goes away. There will be no winner or loser, but I’ll wake up tomorrow, so I think that’s a good reason to do it this way. I won’t confront anything that will attack me.”

Her companion lowered its gaze momentarily, as if nodding in agreement with her statement. They both paused in the courtyard. The wind howled, the trees trembled as if afraid of something. The cat sniffed the air, and Hazel knew. She didn’t see anything, but she could feel it, like a big eye staring at her from the empty space in the courtyard. Then she heard it. A voice, lilting and reedy, spoke slower than molasses could drip out of a jar.

“ _Stay where you are..._.”

The cat darted back the way they’d come, leaving Hazel alone to face the thing searching for her. Her mind raced as she scoured her surroundings for a solution. There were various pillars bordering the courtyard, but she wouldn’t be covered for long—there were nooks to either side of the stairs, but they were too far away…. There were bushes on her right; she only had to duck between them to be out of sight again. She did so and trembled, her limbs cold, as she waited for the feeling of dread to ebb away. The sound of leaves crunching underfoot echoed through the courtyard, coming close and closer to her, until they stopped right next to her.

“Hazel?”

Hazel looked up with a start. Mordo stood by her hiding place, looking at her in confusion.

“What are you doing out of bed?” he asked softly.

“I heard something,” she murmured.

“You should be in your room. Come, I’ll--”

“Wait,” Hazel got to her feet and brushed the leaves and dirt from her robes. “I... I think something’s wrong.”

“What is it?” he watched her scan the courtyard attentively.

“I....” The voice was gone, and so was the dreadful feeling. She felt so stupid! _Of course_ there was nothing here. She was just depressed, or lonely. Typical that as soon as another person joined her, the Guest would just disappear like that. Her apprehension ebbed away as well, replaced with annoyance at herself for letting her imagination go wild like that. She turned back to face him. “It’s nothing. I was only--”

She cut herself off with a gasp when she saw the monster that stood behind him. It was tall and pale, humanoid in form, but twisted in the limbs and spine as if it were broken. It stared at her; its lower jaw dropped to reveal a row of pointed teeth. Hazel didn’t have time to react before it charged for her, brushing past Mordo and grabbing the girl.

The instant they made contact, the creature disappeared and Hazel dropped, in a daze as her astral form was forced out of her body. Startled, Mordo rushed to catch and gently lower Hazel to the ground.

“What is...?” What was that thing he saw? Realization quickly turned to guilt. He _knew_ there had been a breach in the wards--why didn’t he _prepare_ for Hazel being attacked by anything that got through? He quickly expelled his own astral form, hoping that Hazel and that thing would still be nearby.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to look far. He heard Hazel and the monster struggling nearby--perhaps on a higher balcony? Inside the sanctuary? He just had to find her quickly before she was harmed.

 

Hazel was disoriented after being forced out of her physical body. Her mind was completely blank; she remembered nothing-- _knew_ nothing--except that the monster attacking her was dangerous and, given the chance, it would hurt her. She couldn’t conjure magic at a time like this; she couldn’t even try. She didn’t remember how. She relied on instinct as she fought against it, but the Guest was a skilled hunter. After so many years pursuing Hazel, he was bound to have the upper hand.

The Guest pinned Hazel to the ground and stood on its hands and knees over her. Hazel writhed as it held down one of her arms and raised her free hand to its mouth as if it was going to bite her. The girl shouted insults and swears at the beast, praying something would happen--that she’d wake up or regain her strength and sense and memory enough to fight back....

“Let go of me!” she snarled, yanking one arm free and trying to push the monster off her. She punched and kicked, but even when she gouged her fingers into the monster’s right eye, it didn’t waver. It continued to hold her. The beast held one arm in both of its skeletal hands and raised it to its open, fang-filled mouth once more. Hazel let out a final shout, one more plea for help. _Anyone, save me_ _now_!

Then, just as Hazel’s head fell limply aside with resigned despair, the Guest was torn away from her and all but thrown across the corridor. Hazel scrambled to gather herself up and looked heavenward at her savior. A woman dressed in glowing, golden robes stood before Hazel.

“Get up,” the woman commanded, and Hazel looked up at her in a dumb wonder, as if she’d never seen the woman before her. Yet it was her power that she knew.

“You...” Hazel gasped.

“Get up,” the other repeated, more forcefully. Hazel did as ordered, staggering to her feet and feeling a new rush of power surge through her. The woman spoke again. “Do you know who you are?”

The girl replied with what frightened her most.

“No.”

“Very well,” the Ancient One stepped forward as two more Guests similar to the first creeped into sight. Hazel cowered. A new figure entered the astral dimension.

“Stand and fight!” Mordo ordered, standing on Hazel’s other side and assessing the growing number of enemies before them. He didn’t expect her to know the first thing about fighting, but he expected her to try. “Conjure a shield!”

“I don’t know how,” Hazel’s hands shook. Mordo glanced at her in annoyance and confusion. Her face was stained with tears and blood, and she seemed smaller somehow, meek and terrified. But that wasn’t what caught his attention.

“That creature…”

“It sealed her spells,” the Ancient One decided. “She can’t use magic in this fight.”

“Then stay back,” Mordo ordered the girl. Hazel did as she was told, retreating a few feet and looking back as the two masters went up against the horde of monsters that had haunted her ever since she could remember. There were seven monsters now, all flailing, shrieking, fighting to reach Hazel Grace. They made the corridor seem crowded and narrower than it was. Hazel couldn’t sit idly by, but in that moment, the monsters were all she could remember. That, and one phrase.

“ _Daargein ni vodan tol_...” she whimpered.

The Ancient One glanced behind her at Hazel in disbelief. The monster took advantage of the opening, managing to knock the Ancient One against the wall and hold her there. Watching their struggle alerted Hazel, as if something clicked into place at the sight. She swallowed the lump in her throat and stood up straight, speaking loudly and clearly so any beast could hear her.

“ _Kren sossal!_ ”

The monster raised its head just before Hazel tackled the beast. The two masters watched the struggle in surprise. Hazel had transformed, taking on the aspect of a beast that neither could identify. Hazel’s body curved until she stood on her hands and feet. Her nails turned to claws, and her messy hair became a mane over her neck and shoulders. Once the monster was still, the others of its kind retreated, intimidated in the presence of a stronger monster. When Hazel turned back to look at the masters, they saw her face had changed as well. She looked more beast than human.

The Ancient One turned away, scanning the area. Where was that breach?

“Master Mordo, please take Hazel Grace back to her body and take her back to bed for the night,” she ordered. “I’ll take care of the breach.”

Mordo wanted to question her. He didn’t want her to go alone, he wanted to know what was attacking the area, and he wanted to know how Hazel was involved in all this. Was this the threat she’d come here to address?

“Hazel needs and escort. Go now,” the Ancient One gave him a stern look when he didn’t move to comply.

Mordo bowed his head reluctantly. “Yes, Ancient One.”

When he turned back to Hazel, she was human again, but she still crouched on the ground, giving him a feral look.

“Come here, Hazel.”

She lurched to her feet and followed him. Even when she returned to her body, she seemed dazed. She didn’t speak, and that worried Mordo to an extent. However, as they reached Hazel’s room, the witch said one thing.

“It’s gone now.” Her shoulders sagged.

Mordo nodded. “The Ancient One will take care of it. Now, get cleaned up and go back to bed. We have much to discuss tomorrow.”

Hazel nodded aloofly and ducked into her room.

Mordo returned to his patrol in a hurry. Questions raced in his mind. He’d seen how the Ancient One and Hazel both acted out of the ordinary during the fight. How did that pathetic worm of a monster manage to get the upper hand against the Ancient One? Why did she allow herself to be vulnerable, even for a moment? And how did Hazel invoke a transformation so powerful at a moment’s notice? Why did Hazel act so… _lost_ in the astral plain?

He halted before he reached the courtyard again. The Ancient One stood in the middle of the hallway. He waited for her to speak, but even when she did, something in her tone unsettled him.

“I’ve repaired the wards for the night,” she replied. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now. How is Hazel?”

“Shaken, but uninjured,” Mordo reported.

“Good. She’ll undoubtedly be confused in the morning,” she murmured. “If she doesn’t seem herself, she shouldn’t go to classes.”

“Yes....”

“You have questions.”

He did, and he knew she wouldn’t answer all of them. He prioritized.

“How did Hazel do that?”

The Ancient One turned her head only slightly, staring at the ground.

“Let’s not overwhelm ourselves tonight.” Her tone changed to one of sympathy. “You haven’t slept yet, have you? Rest tonight. I’ll answer your questions in the morning.”

“Yes, Ancient One.” Why was she so... withdrawn? What had happened in the astral plain that had startled the Ancient One so badly? That question would surely never be answered.

 

**The next morning, at Dawn**

News of a breach in Kamar-Taj’s wards spread once the rays of dawn reached the courtyard where it had happened. Some masters went to the courtyard to help repair the damage, whilst others checked the rest of the grounds for additional flaws or things left out of place. After making a sound patrol around the entire grounds, Mordo brought word to the Ancient One, who was standing on the edge of the courtyard and watching other masters repair the breach.

“No one was hurt, and nothing was taken,” Mordo reported.

“Oh?” The Ancient One didn’t turn to look at him, just kept staring ahead and flicking a folding fan in her hands absentmindedly.

“Whatever caused it might not have wanted to cause harm,” Mordo dared. “It could have been a wandering ghost.”

She raised her chin. “Does that look like the work of a ghost to you?”

He turned his head to appraise the damage for a first time, visibly staggered at what he saw. The far side of the courtyard was crumbled, as if a large thing had crashed there. Whatever had gotten in, everyone was lucky it left without incident. What had the beast been after?

“Do you even remember half of what happened last night?” the Ancient One asked. “Try to remember. We found a breach in the courtyard, you, Hazel Grace, and I. We fought monsters in the astral dimension alongside Hazel.”

Mordo stared at the ground, wracking his brain for any such thing.

“I do...” he finally admitted. “But it feels like... some strange nightmare I had. What could’ve--?”

“Something very powerful tried to attack last night,” the Ancient One continued, her voice even as ever.

“Tried to?” Mordo glanced at her, and his gaze lingered. She looked paler than usual, and her gaze seemed more tired than bored. She looked nearly ill from fatigue. Mordo wanted to question her, possibly inquire as to why she didn’t alert others to aid her before she pursued the powerful thing, but the Ancient One wouldn’t give him a chance.

“Hazel’s power is growing more quickly than I’d anticipated. We must ensure she’ll be prepared the next time this happens.”

“What are you planning to do?” Mordo asked, but the Ancient One brushed him off, folding her fan and tucking it away before stepping out to help conjure a new ward.

 

Once eight o’clock rolled around, Hazel was roused by urgent shouts in the hallway. She made no haste to investigate the noise, but when she did, and heard what all the fuss was really about, it frightened her a bit.

“There’s been a breach in Kamar-Taj’s defenses,” a master was speaking to different groups as they passed. “We’re repairing the damages, but until the grounds are secure, stay in groups and don’t wander off.”

Upon hearing that, Hazel dressed quickly and trailed after a group that was heading her way. As they moved, the corridors were crowded with students chattering animatedly about the catastrophe, and every opening looking out at the courtyard had a cluster of people peering out at the damages. Hazel hesitated by the balcony, surveying the damage for herself.

The wall protecting the courtyard dipped and crumbled in the center, as if something large ran into the wall and made the stones buckle from the force of the blow. In front of the site, four masters--the Ancient One among them--conjured protective wards and spells to mend the damages. The near-invisible ward spell rose from the ground and over Kamar-Taj like a dome, until it met the wards that were still intact.

Just what happened last night? Hazel didn’t know, yet in her mind, only a few nonsensical words conjured in her mind and repeated themselves over and over again.

_They found me_.

 

**Meeting**

Luckily, Hazel wasn’t the only student out of sorts after that morning. Several other students struggled to perform in class, but the masters were patient and understanding on the matter. It wasn’t every day the sanctuary was compromised, and the students would regain focus after a day or two. Hazel just tried her best during class and waited until she was free again. After classes, Hazel retreated to her room for some much-needed alone time.

Her room had become a bit of a mess in the last couple of days, so she took her time tidying up. She thought she remembered last night’s nightmare in vivid detail, so she blamed that on her unkept surroundings. If you keep house, the nightmares will go away—a scientifically proven fact that served her time and time again. She put her laundry in a bag and slid that under the bed, then she dusted the windowsill and dusted her altar. In the midst of cleaning out her ash catcher and reorganizing her candles and art supplies, Hazel barely noticed her visitor joining her and sitting on the bed.

“Oh,” Hazel straightened up, calligraphy set still in hand, when she saw the same cat perched on the edge of her bed. “It’s you again.”

The cat glanced at her, but regarded her no further as it busied itself licking and chewing at its left paw. Hazel squinted and inched closer to the cat. Not a moment later she realized the cat was picking at a small cut just above its paw.

“Where’d you get that?” she breathed, searching the room for her first aid kit. She grabbed the box from under her altar and sat on the bed next to the cat. She gently stroked the cat’s neck and chin, distracting it enough that it looked up and blinked at her contently. The wound wasn’t bleeding, but Hazel was afraid of it getting irritated with the cat constantly licking it like that. She soaked a cotton ball with some peroxide and took the cat’s injured leg gently.

The cat didn’t struggle with her until she put a small patch of gauze over the wound and started wrapping that with vet wrap.

“Cut it out,” Hazel scolded the cat and wrapped an arm around its shoulders to keep it in place. Ancient One or not, this cat needed to sit still and be treated. “Do you want to lose your paw or not?”

The cat narrowed its eyes and glared at her, tail flicking irately, but it didn’t make another fuss until Hazel was finished wrapping the wound.

“There,” Hazel released the cat, letting it dart to the open window and start fiddling with the bandage. “I made it loose, so it’ll come off in a day or so, but don’t fiddle with it so much.”

The cat glowered at her as it chewed on the vet wrap. Hazel stared back in disbelief. She never thought the Ancient One would act so absurdly. A knock on the door made the two of them momentarily freeze. The cat duck out the window as Hazel moved to open the door for the unexpected visitor. A young woman dressed in red robes--an acolyte, Hazel assumed--waited on the other side.

“Yes?” Hazel bowed her head.

“The Ancient One wishes to see you,” the acolyte replied. “Follow me.”

“Really?” Hazel straightened up. She quickly slipped into her shoes and followed the woman down the hall. Hazel fidgeted as they went, and figured it best to interrogate the acolyte rather than the master that wanted to see her. “D-do you know why? I mean, am I in trouble for something?”

“Why would you assume that?” the woman gave her a level stare, and Hazel shrank. There is no good answer to that question. Hazel stayed anxiously silent until they reached a set of doors at the end of a corridor. The Ancient One stood outside the doors, (human, this time), speaking quietly to a healer.

“Just don’t fiddle with it,” the healer said.

“Yes, of course,” she nodded. “Thank you, Kai.”

The healer bowed his head in response before retreating down the hallway. The Ancient One turned to greet the approaching girls.

“There you are. Thank you, Reiko. I’ll take her from here.”

Normally, Hazel would look her teacher in the eye and greet her politely, but today she was preoccupied with the fresh grey vet wrap bandage around the Ancient One’s left wrist.

“How’d you get that?” she blurted out. The Ancient One raised her eyebrows.

“Oh,” she turned her left hand a little and tilted her head to catch Hazel’s eye. The girl, understandably, went red in the face. “It’s just a scratch. Don’t worry for me.”

Hazel stuttered a little, but followed the Ancient One when the elder beckoned her to. They went through one of the double doors into a large, high-ceilinged room with a large, low table occupied by the other Masters that resided in Kamar-Taj--Mordo, Hamir, Wong, Tashi, and Junzo. Hazel’s legs carried her forward uneasily, her head shaking slightly and her breathing erratic. Why was she here? Had she done something wrong? A few of the Masters stared at her as she passed, likewise confused at her presence here. Sensing Hazel’s distress and how it was quickly agitating the Masters in the room, the Ancient One quickly explained herself in a gentle murmur.

“I’m holding a council with the other masters,” she said. “I’m sorry for doing this on short notice, but the matter is quite urgent, and your input is vital.”

“Really?” Hazel squeaked, but was thankfully ignored.

The Ancient One sat at the head of the table and gestured for Hazel to sit to her left. Hazel obeyed and glanced about the quickly settling company of Masters. Wong sat at the other end of the table, and Mordo sat to the Ancient One’s right.

“I’m sure you’re all aware of the breach in our defensive wards that occurred last night,” the Ancient One began, her gaze meeting that of each master in the room.

“Forgive me, Ancient One,” Master Junzo interrupted her as politely as he could. “But why is that girl here for our private council? She’s a mere novice. This matter doesn’t concern her.”

“Actually, it does,” the Ancient One politely interrupted him back. “And after today, Hazel will be an acolyte, seeing as she was involved in locating and sealing the breach last night.”

“What?” Hazel’s head snapped up. She didn’t remember anything of the sort.

“She’s here to bear witness,” the Ancient One concluded, refusing to even glance at Hazel. “Last night’s attack was one made by followers of a very powerful entity—one that may be seeking her out specifically. We’d be wise to hear out anyone who has information on the incident, even if the witness is of an inferior standing.”

Master Junzo lowered his gaze to the girl, who stared at the grains in the table uneasily. She obviously had no idea what the Ancient One was talking about.

“Then let’s hear it,” he looked back at the Sorcerer Supreme.

“Thank you, Master Junzo,” she nodded. “To recount the events of last night, Master Mordo found Hazel just before she was attacked by something that came through the barrier. This monster forced Hazel’s astral form out of her physical form and sealed her magic temporarily. Mordo and I both defended Hazel in the astral plain and located the breach there. Thankfully, Hazel wasn’t physically harmed, but she was disoriented to the point where she didn’t recognize herself or have any memory of her identity, past, or lessons learned here at Kamar-Taj. That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised if Hazel had limited memory of what transpired last night.”

She finally, _finally_ looked at Hazel for confirmation. Hazel nodded weakly.

“Even Master Mordo was confused about the events of last night,” the Ancient One nodded to the sorcerer to her right. “From this, we can gather that this enemy entity targets the mind, and may very well work oneirically--through dreams.”

She paused, and the debating started at once.

“Who dealt with the breach?” Master Tashi asked.

“I did,” the Ancient One replied. “I asked Mordo to guard Hazel and confronted the breach directly.”

“Why were we attacked?” Hamir was the next to question her. “And why were no other masters alerted?”

“Whilst urgent, the problem did not require the attention from anyone else,” Mordo explained. “Hazel and I just happened to get caught in the crossfire.”

“Speaking of,” Wong interjected. “What _was_ Hazel doing out of the dorms past curfew?”

Hazel’s eyes shifted uncertainly. The Ancient One turned to her.

“I-I don’t know...” Hazel mumbled.

“It sounds like we have a rule-breaker in our midst,” Master Junzo sneered. “Not a future acolyte.”

The Ancient One spared him a look.

Hazel spoke a bit more loudly. “I said I don’t know. I don’t remember leaving my room. I mean...” she turned to the Ancient One. _I remember you._ “I know what you’re talking about, but... I think it was a dream I had.”

“Tell us what you remember,” the Ancient One requested. “Why were you out of bed?”

Hazel took a breath. “Well, I felt a... disturbance?” She shook her head with a sigh. She felt dumb. _Why are you doing this to me?_ However, the other masters regarded each other with knowing looks.

“She sensed the breach before anyone else,” Master Tashi decided. “But how?”

“I... it’s not like it hasn’t happened before,” Hazel shrugged. “These monsters show up all the time around me. That’s why I’m here. I didn’t think they’d have the gall to attack Kamar-Taj--I didn’t even think they’d found me already.”

“So they’re attracted to you,” Mordo stated. With that, the events of last night made sense.

“That’s right,” Hazel nodded. "But they're not all like this. The Guests I invite are all different, and usually don't sneak around or cause trouble. But the ones that came last night-- _those_ are the bad ones. They vary, of course, in terms of looks, but they act the same, they seem to be after the same thing. They come from the same place."

"Another dimension?" Hamir guessed, glancing at the Ancient One.

The Sorcerer Supreme regarded him seriously. "That's a possibility."

"The monsters that attacked us last night were easy to deter," Mordo recalled. "They could be agents of a more powerful creature."

"That's absolutely what they are," Hazel said it like she'd just fully realized it for the first time. She spoke freely, for once not hesitating even as the masters stared at her. "Whenever I find a breach, I feel something big staring at me--something that can't come to this world, so it sends its little Guests instead. But if we strengthen the wards around the property and ensure they’re maintained, we can prevent another incident.”

Master Junzo frowned. “Whilst you’re speaking out of turn, advising _masters_ on what to do, you have a logical solution. Ancient One, what do you recommend?”

The Sorcerer Supreme exhaled, glad they were starting to accept Hazel. “Protective wards should be conjured before sundown.”

“And what of Miss Grace?” Master Tashi gestured to Hazel Grace. “She may be an acolyte, but she’s still a liability. These creatures are attached to her. If that _thing_ could break through our wards as they were, we'll have another incident on our hands soon.”

"I'm aware of that," the Ancient One nodded. "However, as an acolyte, Hazel will have more resources available to her. She knows these Guests better than any of us. I'm sure she can learn--as we call can--how to deal with another attack."

Hazel had resumed staring at the table thoughtfully. She knew before coming here that running was no longer an option. She had no choice but to confront this thing--the attacks orchestrated and overseen by her Main Guest.


	4. Advanced Placement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hazel attends hand-to-hand combat classes and Stephen gets some answers.

**Hazel Dreams of the Ancient One**

Hazel didn’t lie to Mordo when she said her Guests left her alone at night. However, she still spent many nights restless, as if her body was trained out of a normal sleep pattern. On these nights, she’d wander, and no one would see her. She’d float and talk to herself. If she wasn’t accompanied by the Ancient One in her cat form, she wasn’t accompanied at all. Tonight was different. Tonight, Hazel dreamed of the Ancient One in her true form.

The Ancient One watched Hazel from the veranda as the girl paced about the courtyard. It was truly no different between them now. But Hazel felt like there was something… missing from her, as if she couldn’t quite remember what her purpose was or why she was here. She was wrapped up in the idea of her watchful company, the beast on the veranda. Should she say something? Could she?

“Do you prefer labradorite or obsidian?” Hazel asked.

The Ancient One considered it. She looked to the halfmoon, and her silver scales glistened in the glorious light. Her voice was soft, but it carried in this curious plain. “Labradorite, of course.”

This was another game Hazel played here. It was almost as if she forgot to be afraid of the Ancient One at all, so now she pestered her with whatever question came to her mind. Eventually, Hazel, like so many students, asked for the true name of the Sorceress Supreme, but when she was denied, she only became more persistent.

“You know I’d never remember your name once I woke up,” Hazel persuaded.

“Yes, but you would know every time you fell asleep again. And one night, you’d carve the name into your arm in a state of somnolence and you would bind me in blood, even without meaning to.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Hazel apologized as if she’d already done it.

 

During the lunch hour the next day, Hazel sat under the blue-blossom tree in the courtyard. Other acolytes and masters buzzed about her as they went through their daily rituals, but Hazel, for once, was still and silent like a stone or tree. No one looked at her or talked to her during the time she sat there, probably because they didn’t care or perhaps they didn’t see her sitting there. Now that she wore acolyte robes, other people looked at Hazel a lot less because they regarded her as just another student trying to learn, not some novice outsider asserting herself with all her weird Pagan habits.

She thought about that dream she’d had, meditated on the dream she’d had. She replayed aspects of the dream over and over again, asking questions with no answers before replaying the dream again. Why did she dream of the Ancient One? ~~And why did the Ancient One look like that?~~ And why was she so thoughtful, so taken, with their small, seemingly insignificant interaction? Hazel couldn’t remember exactly what they talked about in her dream, but it didn’t detract from Hazel’s obsession. Actually, the dream could be considered quite boring at face value, but Hazel wanted to think over it some more before she inevitably forgot it.

Perhaps taboo piqued her interest. Everyone regarded the Ancient One highly, but Hazel felt an unnerving longing amidst her respectful fear--a childish want to speak with the Ancient One, to listen to her as she talked endlessly about all she knew. Was it knowledge that attracted Hazel? Power? Perhaps this longing is what made thinking about the Ancient One so painful to Hazel. At times, the girl felt as if she’d tear her body to pieces to call the Ancient One once by her true name. But this was an idle fancy, as all things ill-advised in Kamar-Taj. What would Hazel even do, if given the chance to speak frivolously with the Ancient One? Freeze up? Stutter, bow, and flee? In truth, Hazel couldn’t even begin to speak to the Ancient One. But today, sitting under that blue-flowered tree like a still and silent stone, Hazel wished to walk right up to the Ancient One and say, “Hello. My name is Hazel Grace. Might I ask your honorable name, my lady?”

Hazel burst out laughing at the very thought. Her hands shook with nerves already. The tree beside her shivered, as if laughing with her.

“Just imagine that,” Hazel scoffed, and the silence was broken. She returned to speaking and playing her shamisen serenely and talking and singing to the plants and birds that made up her company.

 

**Research ~~when you should be studying~~**

Hazel still seemed pre-occupied during classes. She doodled aimlessly in her notebook during theory and creatures class and was called on more than once just so she’d be humiliated into paying attention again. However, after each time, she eventually retreated back into her notebook.

Wong’s advanced creatures class was no different for her. She loved learning about the different beasts and gods from different plains of existence, but it was all a bit dull when she had to learn with a class. Hazel glanced around the classroom, only for her eyes to linger at the window, where she could see a flock of birds dancing outside. Then, to refocus herself (in a way), she looked back down at her textbook and flipped forward a few pages. Nothing out of the ordinary so far... sprites, halla, coal monsters....

Hazel’s fingers stilled over a page dedicated to an ash firebird. She scanned the page quickly, reading about the bird’s sightings and origin. Well, that was a start. Hazel began scrawling cursory notes alongside her reading material. If she was able to summon the bird and curry favor, it might be willing to teach her a fire spell that would be useful against her rogue Guests.

“Hazel?” Wong prompted from the front of the room. Hazel looked up and set her pen down.

“Yes?”

“Would you read the next paragraph?” he sounded impatient, as if he’d had to ask her more than once.

“Oh, right,” Hazel glanced at her neighbor’s book and flipped back to the appropriate page. “Where are we?”

“What did I tell you about reading ahead?”

 

**Combat**

Hazel’s trust was moved down a peg since the breach. The Ancient One had promised her sanctuary, yet Hazel was still found and pursued by her Main Guest. However, that just gave Hazel incentive to work harder. In combat class, she’d already started out far behind the others as a result of her lack of participation, but now, Hazel had a new problem--cheating.

“Stop,” Mordo clipped. Hazel and Rei stood up straight in neutral positions. “You conjured a shield. I know you excel at spell casting, but you need to learn how to fight properly if your spells are ever silenced. Your survival depends on it.”

“I’m sorry,” Hazel dragged a toe across the stone and stared at the leaves underfoot. “I’ll work very hard.”

“I expect you to. Now try again.”

“Here,” Rei reoriented Hazel’s focus. As a higher acolyte, she was Hazel’s senior by far, but she was patient and controlled herself so that she didn’t possibly injure the new student. “You’re getting stiff again. What do you think is holding you back?”

“I’m absolutely terrified of you,” Hazel admitted. “But octopuses eat themselves when they’re under stress, so I think I’m doing okay.”

Rei grinned, rolling her eyes. “I take it you haven’t been meditating?”

“I’m not going through that until I learn more.” Hazel’s answer was strange, but Rei knew to expect that by this point.

“But you’ll never learn more if you don’t meditate,” she argued.

“Pagans have their ways,” Hazel shrugged.

They left it at that. Stephen watched the two girls begin sparring again.

“Did she really know magic before coming here?” he asked once Mordo was within earshot again. Mordo glanced up, then nodded.

“Yes. The Ancient One saw raw power and talent in her, so Hazel was allowed to stay and learn.”

“But why would she come here if she already knew magic? That doesn’t make sense.”

Mordo sighed, debating whether or not he should tell Strange about Hazel’s special case. Stephen read into the other’s hesitation.

“ _She_ had something to do with the destroyed courtyard, didn’t she?” he demanded. Mordo never took his eyes off the girl. “There’s a breach in the wards, then Hazel is made an acolyte the very next day? I know she had something to do with it.”

“Hazel is a powerful thing,” he finally said. “She needs to learn how to control her power, and everything that comes along with it.”

“Damn,” Stephen winced as he saw Rei slam Hazel to the ground. Another voice spoke up behind him.

“She’ll get it.”

Hazel looked up. That’s probably what distracted her in the first place.

“Ancient One,” Mordo greeted with a respectful nod of his head, which she returned.

“Hazel has an odd way of learning,” the Ancient One continued. “She practices until she finds a way that suits her, then she’s unstoppable.”

Mordo chuckled. “Perhaps we should have started by teaching her how to fight.”

“Perhaps.” The woman turned to the student. “Mister Strange, I was wondering if you would help me with something this evening. An extra credit assignment, perhaps?”

“Of course,” Stephen hadn’t been chosen to help the Sorcerer Supreme with anything yet. Why did she approach _him_ for it? “What is it?”

“An observation. Possible intervention. You’ve gotten quite skilled at Astral Projection, particularly at night; therefore, I think you’re the perfect candidate for the job I have in mind. What do you know of Hazel Grace?”

“The American?” he used the same word everyone did to describe her. “Well she’s like a Disney princess, but she’s stuck up, doesn’t listen to the masters, and seems to enjoy getting thrown around by Rei, which is really weird.”

“Hm,” the Ancient One glanced at the sparring girls, deeply concerned to see Hazel smiling and shaking herself off again. “Have you ever seen her at night while you’re up?”

“... No, I haven’t. She hasn’t learned how to astral project yet, has she?”

“I believe she’s been practicing self-taught, somnolent astral projection for some time. I was hoping to see her astral project naturally in her sleep, and I think this would be a good learning experience for you, as well.”

Stephen’s eyebrows drew together. “We’re going to watch her sleep?”

“Yes.”

 

**The Good Guests**

Hazel sat on the floor in the middle of her room, surrounded by art supplies and kneeling before a red altar cloth set with a white candle, a bowl of tea, and a bowl of ash. She struck a match, but just before she could light the candle, she heard a frantic scratching at her door.

“Of course,” she dropped the match in her ashtray and got to her feet. When she opened the door, the calico cat Ancient One slipped into the room and sat on one of Hazel’s sketchbooks. “I thought you’d want to join me.”

Hazel resumed her spot in front of the altar, lit the candle, and rang a golden bell.

“Come in,” she breathed, and waited.

She heard a mass of muted, muffled voices, some whispering, some shouting, surrounding her on all sides. Some weren’t in this dimension yet. That’s why they were so quiet. A faint breath of wind made the shutters shudder slightly, then Hazel heard it--a tinkling sound, like the rattle of small bells. Then she smelled fur and ice. When she opened her eyes, a Guest was draped over the windowsill.

“Jasper Grace?” the thing asked. Hazel blinked and bowed her head.

“I’m glad to see you,” she replied. “Who might you be?”

The thing appeared spectral and fuzzy, see-through with a blue-white silhouette that evaporated and reappeared. Flecks of some light matter floated upward from the creature’s skin and fur, then dissipated after a few inches of travel. The thing wasn’t a ghost, but it was very ghost-like as it sat there peering at its host with very solid yellow eyes. It didn’t reply to Hazel right away, but then again, Hazel didn’t expect it to. So, the girl reached for her shamisen and began playing a quiet, bright song for her Guest.

Once the song was done, she asked again.

“Who are you?”

The eyes found her, then drifted to the window again. It stared intently at the snow-capped ridges on the horizon for a moment. It looked at her stack of sketchbooks and art supplies.

“I draw the things that come to see me,” Hazel replied. “May I sketch you?”

The thing gave her what must’ve been a ‘yes,’ then watched Hazel intently for the rest of the hour as she painted a canvas black then transparent blue. Then she stippled the flecky outline of the creature.

“You know what they call it when you color something in with just dots?” Hazel asked her Guest. “It’s called stippling, but my friend calls it the annoying prick technique.”

Hazel could tell she didn’t offend the Guest. It either seemed enthralled or entertained, but it didn’t laugh. Maybe it didn’t know how.

“Curious, seeing a snow spirit in the middle of summer,” Hazel murmured.

Her hand hovered over the empty space on the canvas. The snow spirit drifted behind her, making Hazel’s skin sting from the sudden cold. Her hand grew so cold and numb that she couldn’t move it. Beside her, the cat began to bristle warningly at the spirit. However, the spirit was nothing but gentle as it held Hazel’s wrist and guided her paintbrush over the canvas.

_Opportunities may never come again._

Hazel smiled. She contacted spirits and ghosts and gods for this very reason; they always had something important to give her. Some taught her spells, some gave her wise words to live by, and some just stayed with her and made her less lonely for a short time. She loved having Guests over, every bit of it.

Then the cold disappeared. Hazel could move once more. The Guest had gone, leaving only an icy handprint on Hazel’s wrist. Hazel gathered up a soapstone seal and pressed it in a red pad before stamping the corner of the painting.

“Thank you for coming,” she bowed and blew out the candle. Hazel got to her feet and began tidying up. The sun was setting, and Hazel had other things to do. She looked back at the cat, who had remained calm and alert during the hour she had the Guest.

“What’d you think?” Hazel asked, a little smugly. The cat only bowed its head and blinked, but Hazel thought she knew what it was saying to her.

_It was wonderful._

 

**Experiment**

The Ancient One and Stephen went to Hazel’s room after sundown to collect her for their experiment. Once they reached the door, they faltered. Hazel talked on the other side of the door. To whom? Herself?

“Ancient One!” she sounded disapproving. “You’re spilling tea all over the carpet--what’s the matter with you? Why are you always like this when you’re a cat?”

“H-Miss Grace?” the Ancient One knocked on the door, and she and Stephen exchanged an uneasy glanced. The door opened, revealing Hazel kneeling by the windowsill in front of a spread of candles, herbs, and a toppled cup that once held tea. A white and tortoiseshell-spotted cat perched on the sill, flicking its tail as it peered over its shoulder at the intruders. The cat knocked ingredients off the altar space. Hazel stared at her visitors in what could only be abject horror.

“Who’re you talking to?” Stephen asked, although he already had a good idea.

“The cat!” Hazel got to her feet and brushed her skirt off in a hurry. “T-the cat is um... it told me to call it--I mean, it responds when I call it ‘Ancient One,’ so I do.”

Stephen tried glancing at the Ancient One again, but the woman seemed to be busy having a meaningful staring contest with the cat.

 

After drinking the sedative tea she was given, Hazel fell asleep in minutes. She was laying in the middle of the empty room on a cot bordered by screens. Stephen Strange and the Ancient One were watching her from the Astral Plain as their bodies rested in a kneeling position nearby. Stephen couldn’t resist needling the Ancient One for information.

“This wouldn’t have to do with the breach, would it?” he asked.

“In a way,” the other replied. “Has Mordo told you about Hazel’s condition yet?”

“Funny, I knew there was something going on...”

The Ancient One’s lip twitched. “Hazel is a medium. She can see entities from other dimensions, and these entities can use her as a vessel to breach the barriers between their world and ours. She’s most vulnerable while she sleeps, and there’s a good chance that entities from other dimensions would take her astral form away from her body by force. These screens are imbued with protective wards, so she shouldn’t be bothered if she astral projects on her own again....”

“Again?”

“Yes. Wong found her in the library a few nights ago, looking at a few books from my personal collection. She didn’t know what to say when he and Master Junzo confronted her, of course; her powers are subconscious, and her actions were oneiric--she thought she was dreaming.”

Not a few moments after that, Hazel’s astral form sat up and began walking around the room. She didn’t float as much as a traditional astral form, but instead walked around like nothing was out of the ordinary. She knelt by the stack of books by her cot and began flipping through one, then she absent-mindedly drifted over to the tea set out for her and poured herself a cup.

“She doesn’t know she’s astral projecting?” Stephen watched skeptically as Hazel plopped down in the middle of the bed with a book.

“It appears not. It could be she’s been doing it so long that it’s just part of her routine, like dreaming.”

“So, what now?”

“We wait, and watch.”

Instantly, as if she was suddenly painfully aware of her situation, Hazel sprang up. Her demeanor changed. She seemed to understand that something was amiss, as if she just realized that she was astral projecting. The room felt cold and dark to her. She was back in this place. Stephen felt an inkling of sympathy as she started clawing at the screens, looking for a way out of the box that seemed to get smaller and smaller.

Then she shook her head forcefully.

“Just ignore it,” she whispered. “Crossed Lines. A Malec fanfic, by yours. We’re crashing god’s lesbian wedding....”

“What’s she saying?” Stephen demanded.

“She’s sleep-talking, I suppose,” the Ancient One shrugged. “She acted a bit like this when she astral projected the other night as well. What do you make of this?”

“Well, it’s definitely somnolent, as you said. As for the rest,” he ran a hand through his hair. “She’s scared, at least she was a moment ago. What happens when she’s forced to astral project?”

The Ancient One was quiet for a moment too long. Stephen sighed.

“Of course. The minute I think I’m going to get answers—”

“Do you believe in ghosts, Strange?”

“No.” Then he rethought his answer. “Here? Sure. Why not.”

Suddenly, Hazel lunged at one of the screens, trying to get out. As she jumped and snapped, she didn’t look as human as before. Her body transmogrified, only slightly, giving her the appearance of a beast. She had broad, fur-coated shoulders, long claws, and a long muzzle full of fangs. Her eyes glistened in the room’s low light as she tore at the protected screens to no avail.

After another moment of fighting, she lowered herself to pace the edge of the cage on four feet, like a lion or bear in a cage at the zoo. Then, she stopped and let out a loud, long, vicious roar. Stephen watched on in surprise and a little fear, whilst the Ancient One seemed disinterested. Stephen knew better; she was watching Hazel like she watched him—she was amazed.

Soon, Hazel made peace with her prison and relaxed, her animal form receding until she looked small and tame compared to herself a few moments ago. She lied down again, muzzle to the ground. She sighed occasionally, sounding like a disappointed dog. After a few moments that must’ve felt like years to the astral projecting Hazel, she rolled onto her side and fell back asleep, and her astral form and physical form reunited again.

“And just like that, she falls asleep,” Stephen said.

“It probably felt like hours to her,” the Ancient One added.

The man nodded in agreement. “The days do feel longer when you’re dreaming.”

“The mind thinks fast.”

Hazel stirred, then sat up under the blankets, her hair falling like a mangled curtain over her shoulder. She rolled onto her stomach and sipped some tea as she waited for the fog of sleep to clear from her head.

The Ancient One spoke slowly, considering what she said. “Mister Strange, would you be willing to help Hazel, just for a bit?”

“You want me to help her master astral projection,” he stated. She nodded.

“Yes. And I can’t be the one to do it; she knows she’s always safe with me. I need someone that powerful demons would laugh at. She needs to learn how to defend herself.”

“Wait, hold on,” Stephen cautioned, turning to her. “What demons? What is she defending herself from?”

The woman remained quiet for a long moment, her eyes combing over Hazel’s form again and again.

“We’re not entirely sure yet. She’s a medium, and a vessel that monsters would use to come into our world and wreak havoc. That’s why she can bring spirits past the wards around Kamar-Taj.”

“That’s _why_ there was a breach,” Stephen realized. He closed his eyes and shook his head, considering and reconsidering what she’d said to him. “No way. I’m not here to fight demons, I’m here to....”

He trailed off, glancing at the girl again. The Ancient One gave him a beseeching look.

“I’m not asking you to,” her voice was almost pleading. “But you _can_. You’re more powerful than you know, Stephen, and you’re the only student here equally skilled in combat and astral projection. You’re my first choice.”

Stephen considered it.

 


	5. Sapling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From seedling to sapling, Hazel realizes some critical roadblocks between her and improvement.

**Patron**

“Trust, Hazel,” Mordo insisted after another of Hazel’s shield-conjuring acts. “If you don’t learn to trust me, you’ll never pass this class.”

“Give me one reason to trust you,” Hazel spat. “Or your students. I can’t just switch gears and trust everyone, because that’s not how being an American girl works.”

“I’ve trained plenty of girls from America and places worse off than America,” Mordo informed her. “It’s not your origin that made you this way. The Ancient One and I couldn’t save you from your Guests, not entirely, but we defended you to the best of our abilities, did we not?”

Hazel sighed and averted her eyes. He continued.

“We have no reason to harm you, Hazel.”

Another sigh from the American girl. _You’re not listening to me._ It was as if she couldn’t be heard.

“Now, try again. This time, you don’t have to attack. Only defend.”

Hazel tried her best. She dodged his attacks and blocked as she had been taught, but when cornered, she cowered and crossed her arms above her head defensively.

With a sudden, unexpected flash, a fair-sized specter materialized out of thin air. The phantom-like figure had the aspect of a wolf, and the energy of a descendent of chaos. It leaped before Hazel to defend her, but the girl wasn’t having it.

“Fen!” Her shout cut across the courtyard, catching the attention of anyone who hadn’t been distracted by the wolf alone. The wolf-specter glanced over its shoulder at her. Hazel spoke firmly; the others in the plaza could tell she was irritated and humiliated. “We have a deal, Fenrir.”

The wolf turned around and said something no one in the courtyard understood. It sounded like an excuse.

“This doesn’t count! This is _training_ , not battle,” Hazel argued. She watched the beast for a moment before sighing heavily. “Go home, Fen.”

The beast stood still for a moment before disappearing back into thin air. Hazel heaved a sigh and looked to Mordo, who she knew wanted to confront her.

“You made a deal with Fenris.” It wasn’t a question.

“I did,” Hazel nodded. She didn’t act like she had anything to be ashamed of. “Fenrir is my main patron--I pay tribute to him, and he serves me in kind.”

Mordo was incredulous. “You don’t honestly believe a child of the God of Chaos will bend to you. Paying tribute to such things only makes them stronger, and once he’s strong enough, he’ll overpower you and bring chaos to our reality--don’t you understand that?”

“And I guess you read that in a book somewhere?” Hazel snapped. She was uncharacteristically bold in that moment, forgoing her usual chagrin now that her favorite Guest was involved. “You don’t know him. He’s a child of chaos, but he’s still _real_. He’s not like a monster. He feels fear, longing, and loss, just like anyone. And you saw me send him away, so it’s not like I’m not powerful enough to control him.”

“You’re _not_ strong enough to control him,” Mordo corrected firmly. “You can’t even control yourself. And at this rate, I fear you never will.”

Hazel stared up at him, her legs trembling. She was exhausted and sore from days of this, yet she still stood. She’d feel spoiled or weak if she let her injuries get the better of her. Mordo left her there, turning to the other students who were gawking at the girl as if the wolf still stood before her. Or perhaps she was the wolf to them.

“Class is dismissed,” Mordo announced.

Hazel’s shoulders sagged in defeat. What was she going to do?

 

Hazel sat in the courtyard under the blue-flowered tree, plucking morosely at her shamisen in between drawing sigils in the dirt with a stick.

A familiar, overwhelming presence disturbed the spiritual peace, making Hazel raise her head. The Ancient One stood on the edge of the courtyard, speaking quietly with Mordo, who gestured in Hazel’s direction repeatedly.

“She’s only using magic,” Mordo reported. “She’s too far gone. I propose we seal her magic for a day or two, just so she won’t have that crutch--”

“No,” the Ancient One shook her head firmly. “What if we’re attacked by her Guests? She’ll be helpless.”

“She’s helpless already,” Mordo argued quietly, glancing at the girl. “Besides, if there is a breach, the other masters will sense it and defend Kamar-Taj. Hazel’s magic isn’t required to keep the sanctuary safe.”

“But if Hazel is blind to her Guests, she’s blind to our mercy. She uses magic because she doesn’t trust us, and if we take away her one method of defense, we’d lose her.”

The woman’s gaze drifted, landing on Hazel in an instant. Hazel looked down at the ground again and curled in on herself. She felt so stupid. She couldn’t be here.

She heard footsteps approach, then stop a few feet away.

“Walk with me?”

Hazel got to her feet, staring at the ground, setting her instrument aside, as she followed the Ancient One inside and through several corridors. In between sulking, Hazel found herself stumbling behind as she got distracted at little things. The spider in the corner. The grain of wood that just felt like it was staring at her as they passed. The Ancient One didn’t scold her; she merely waited for Hazel to catch up, then began walking again. What was she thinking, bringing Hazel back to a private meeting like this? _I didn’t ask for your insecurities_ \--was that too harsh? The Ancient One had only considered it as a way of comforting the girl at the time, but now, seeing Hazel’s progress, or lack thereof, in combat class, the Ancient One was tempted to doubt her own method.

She didn’t know why she was so taken with the girl. Hazel’s situation and her perception to the mystic arts made her unlike any other student the Ancient One had ever taught, and that made Hazel rare and precious. Change was refreshing, and Hazel had such a... promise to her that made the Ancient One feel, along with a note of defeat, an inkling of possessiveness.

The Ancient One was left calculating, considering, composing any symphony of words to possibly convince Hazel that she had a place in the mystic arts, even if it wasn’t here. They arrived to a small balcony. Hazel lingered by the entryway as the woman knelt to one side of the platform.

“What am I going to do with you?”

“Please don’t kick me out!” Hazel begged. “I just panicked. I’m sorry.”

“What?” The woman turned around and gave her a funny look. The Ancient One was holding the tortoise-shell cat that had called itself ‘ancient one.’ Hazel blinked. That godforsaken beast. The cat’s paws were covered in dirt. “Do you expect to be scolded for something?”

“Are you gonna scold me for something?” Hazel half-parroted, not knowing what else to say in this situation.

“Of course not,” the Ancient One absentmindedly wiped the cat’s dusty paws with a gold-embroidered pocket square. “I merely wanted to see your progress so far.”

“Oh.”

“I spoke with your teachers. Mordo told me that you were struggling in your classes.”

“Nngh,” Hazel’s shoulders sagged. Her eyes never left the cat. “Yes, I guess I am.”

The elder released the cat and knelt by the edge of the balcony, waving Hazel forward. Hazel sat nearby as asked, and the Ancient One held out an expectant hand.

“Let me see your injuries,” she ordered tiredly. Hazel offered her hands. Small scrapes and bruises decorated her hands and arms. The Ancient One used a bit of magic, but mostly the most mundane of remedies--hope that Hazel would heal. She moved quickly, her hands inexplicably trembling. She rarely ever touched anyone. It didn’t really occur to her until now. “Your regenerative abilities are exemplary but hiding your injuries won’t help anyone. Do you know why you’re struggling?”

“I’m just lazy, I guess.”

The elder sighed and straightened.

“You’ll never improve if you don’t realize your problem, Hazel Grace.”

Hazel’s hand twitched. Her true name again... The Ancient One watched her expectantly.

 ~~“I’m afraid.”~~ “I’ve just been out of it lately. I’ll do better.”

“If that’s what you think, you’ve been out of it for nineteen years,” the other argued. “This is more than a passing spell, Hazel. You need to learn control.”

Hazel stared at the ground and didn’t dare speak. She didn’t know what to say, or maybe she just wasn’t brave enough to say anything that came to her mind. The Ancient One felt Hazel’s fear. _Would she leave me to die somewhere? Would I ever return if she did?_ So Hazel had heard of Mister Strange’s little adventure on Everest. The idea terrified her, and she feared if such a thing happened to her now, she’d never return to Kamar-Taj. She’d go home. She’d suffer under the thumb of her Main Guest. And she would destroy herself.

The Ancient One didn’t want to lose Hazel. That’s why she brought Hazel up here for her lesson.

“Look out there,” the Ancient One turned her body to indicate the view beyond the balcony. Hazel hesitantly did so, then her breath was taken. She saw the several towers, halls, courtyards of Kamar-Taj. Actually, she felt like she saw almost everything from up here. Beyond that, streets of Kathmandu. Beyond that, the mountains and violet sky.

The Ancient One scrutinized the girl. “What do you see?”

“Everything,” Hazel breathed. “The yards and halls, the towers and people. The streets. The slums. There’s a dog out there, looking for food. Then there’s the mountains. I think I know them, at least a little part of them.”

The woman’s lips twitched. “Close your eyes.”

Hazel hesitated, taking in the world one last time as if it was the last she’d see of anything ever again. Then she did as ordered.

“Now be still and listen,” the Ancient One’s voice commanded. “Reach out with all your senses and tell me what you find.”

Hazel exhaled slowly, letting her palms rest open against the stone ground. She felt the wind and the air around them. She felt the tower beneath her, and the courtyards and hallways and corridors. She knew this practice; back home, she could lie down outside and feel how big the Earth was beneath her. Then she felt how big the sky was. Then, at times, she felt as if she felt the whole universe. But then, like always, she was interrupted.

A black, writhing mass, like a snake or eel, writhed in the gutter just past Kamar-Taj’s wards. Hazel’s eyes snapped open and she scrambled back a couple feet. She looked back at the Ancient One, who watched her with a vacant expression. Hazel didn’t know what she was supposed to do. What was she supposed to do?

“Why are you doing this to me?” she finally asked.

“Try again. You can control your awareness of them, or you can control how you perceive them.”

“Are you asking me to disregard the danger of knowing them?” Hazel demanded.

“I’m asking you to disregard you _fear_ in response to knowing the dangers they present.”

Hazel’s spine sagged. She returned to her previous position and did as she was told. Her whole body quaked with fear; she struggled to breathe. She was trapped. She was stuck between two dangerous things--the Ancient One or the Guest.

The Ancient One’s voice softened again. “It’s alright to be afraid of your Guests when they attack you. We don’t meditate when Kamar-Taj is under attack; we fight. But here, now--the barrier is intact, and your Guests can’t harm you. Take advantage of it.”

Hazel raised her head slightly, her breathing evening out when she saw her Guest again. It slithered and spit, but it couldn’t harm her. It was just another time being passing her by. She was well aware, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She felt desensitized. When she opened her eyes again, the Ancient One was standing behind her.

“Do you understand now?”

 

**Teacher**

Hazel meditated at least once every day after that. Some days, whenever she felt herself getting upset over something, she cheated. She took a breath and cleared her mind, then she was able to confront her projects with a clear head again. She noticed little things about herself--very small changes that contributed to her whole being in all sorts of ways. She could tell when she was dreaming or astral projecting. She no longer got confused when she astral projected in her sleep, but she let it happen. She thought less and spoke less; she observed and copied what she saw. However, she still retained her tendency to question. She made sure what she was doing was right and harmless before she did it, no matter who was teaching her. But her magical awareness was as strong as ever.

And of course, amidst her daily routine, Hazel thought more and more of the Ancient One. She rarely saw the woman anymore, but she wished to seek her out. For what? To thank her for her help? Or just to see her? Hazel never told anyone about this obsession, of course, save for the blue-flowered tree in the courtyard and, if she was feeling forgiving, the cat.

“What am I supposed to say to her?” Hazel asked quietly, strumming her shamisen serenely. “Hi, I’m young and uninteresting. Want to be friends?”

She felt the tree mocking her.

“What?!” Hazel sounded irritated with her friend. “Well, you know her better than I do, surely. What should I say to her?”

The branches flicked in the gentle breeze, making a gentle rustling sound. Hazel sighed, feeling her anger drain away from her only to be replaced with melancholy. She lied back on the ground, feeling every stone of the sanctuary and the world beneath her. This all had to be the result of meditating, but why was she so consumed--so enchanted--by the Sorcerer Supreme?

_Why am I like this?_

 

Sometime in the middle of her meditation, Hazel felt a little creature creep up next to her. She opened her eyes, expecting to see the cat standing there waiting; the cat knew her when she meditated, and almost always came over to see if she’d begin a ritual after coming out of it. However, today, Hazel was joined by a grey monkey. She smiled and sat up.

“Need something?” she rested her cheek on her fist. The monkey’s eyes were fixated on a shiny thing--Hazel’s sling ring, dangling temptingly by a single cord around her neck. The animal crawled forward, snatched the necklace, and darted away before Hazel could catch him.

“What the--hey, wait a minute!” Hazel bolted after it. “Give that back!”

She chased the beast across the courtyard until it leapt up on the wall and crawled a few steps down to the roof. Hazel appraised the obstacle in front of her, then the monkey. Oddly enough, it watched her and waited, as if expecting her to follow it. Hazel scanned the area again, made a running start, and vaulted on top of the wall. She slipped clumsily, but the monkey waited no more.

“Wait!” Hazel called as it skittered out of sight. She gritted her teeth and crawled upright, taking off after the monkey. When she was given that sling ring, she was given a simple order--don’t lose it. And now, she’d either get it back or die trying.

She didn’t think about how others would react to her chasing a monkey over the rooftops, and she didn’t honestly care at the moment. She needed that sling ring back. At one point, she leapt off the roof after her foe, unknowingly landing right in front of Master Junzo and his daughter. Hazel froze, looking at the startled people uneasily. She quickly bowed respectfully, then darted away again.

“Is _that_ your sparring partner?” Master Junzo asked with a mixture of confusion and distain in his voice. Rei blinked and watched Hazel until the girl was out of sight.

Little did her onlookers know this would become a regular occurrence for Hazel. Almost every day, regardless of Hazel’s condition, the primates of Kamar-Taj made a game out of taking something of hers and taking her on a tour around the grounds. It was tiresome and irritating, especially when one confronted her right after combat training, but Hazel had to admit she was benefitting from this constant activity.

She was learning from them, as she learned from anything. She watched her targets and let them teach her. She got better at climbing and scrambling, of course, but getting around outside the confines of pathways gave Hazel a more intimate familiarity with the sanctuary. She’d never get lost again.

A couple days of this passed before Stephen caught a glimpse of Hazel performing her weird ritual. He and Mordo were training in the courtyard when he saw her vault over a wall and dart across the roof after a monkey.

“What is she doing?” he asked. Mordo followed his gaze and shook his head hopelessly.

Hazel performed better when training with Rei. She now moved tirelessly and agilely, using her environment to her advantage. She was improving, but she still used magic.

It still wasn’t good enough.

 

**Dragon-talking in the Secret Garden**

Hazel ended up somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. Usually, her primate teachers stayed within the boundaries of Kamar-Taj, but they never took her anywhere off-limits. Perhaps they didn’t know this particular courtyard was off-limits to other humans, since they could come and go as they pleased. This courtyard was fancier than the others, with well-kept flower patches and a pond in the center. However, when Hazel landed on the ground and knelt by the monkey to collect her well-deserved sling ring, a voice startled her.

“What are you doing here?”

Hazel straightened and froze when she saw none other but the Ancient One herself standing there, looking surprised and troubled to have an unexpected visitor.

“I-I’m sorry,” Hazel took a step back. “I didn’t know that... you were here.”

“How did you get here?” the Sorcerer Supreme’s voice softened. In her surprise, she hadn’t realized it was Hazel. “This area is only accessible by sling ring. And seeing as you just recovered yours....”

Hazel blushed and tied the sling ring back around her neck anxiously.

“W-well, I...” her eyes found the monkey, who sat at the woman’s feet. “I followed someone.”

The Ancient One glanced at the monkey, then back at Hazel.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter now,” she sighed and moved to a bench beside the pond. She glanced up. “Would you like to sit?”

Hazel agreed and timidly sat on the bench beside the other. She peered into the pond, which looked deep and dark. Fish appeared and disappeared around the edges of the pond, as if the pond extended below the stone ground.

“It’s a portal to the river,” the Ancient one explained. “I love to watch the fish, but I couldn’t bear to see them caged.”

Hazel stared at the other. She felt like she’d seen the woman so rarely; she wanted to savor this moment in any way she could. Then she felt like she ruined it when the Ancient One met her gaze curiously.

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” Hazel looked down at the water again.

“You’ve been looking for me, the last few nights,” the Ancient One stared at the fish again. “Did you wish to speak with me?”

“I wanted to ask you...” Hazel picked at a few callouses on her hands. Think of something, anything. “Why don’t you say anything about me speaking dragon tongue? I did it when we first met, and you didn’t do anything.”

“Why would I do anything about it?” the other didn’t react much.

“I... I thought that....”

“Thought what?”

“Well, I was told we weren’t allowed to speak dragon tongue here,” Hazel sounded indignant in her attempt to not look like a complete idiot in front of the Ancient One. “Or do, like, anything with dragons here.”

“Who told you that?”

Now they both looked confused. Hazel averted her wide eyes to a ladybug crawling across the stone ground.

“I... don’t remember now,” she lied. She didn’t want to throw Wong or Mordo under the bus.

“I’m afraid you were misinformed,” the Ancient One composed herself. “You’re _allowed_ to speak dragon tongue; we just don’t teach dragon magic or lore here.”

“But I’m... weak,” Hazel tried defending herself and those who ‘misinformed’ her. “I’m weak of mind; you see what I’ve become.”

“Actually,” the other argued gently. “I see just the opposite. Anyone able to withstand such torment--even if oneiric and temporary--forges a strong mind and spirit. Greet me like a dragon would, if you wish. I want to hear you.”

Hazel fidgeted and stuttered, her face flushed bright red. Was this a test?

“ _H-hi kinbok,_ ” she spluttered. _You’re the eldest._ The Ancient One smiled with a mixture of amusement and pride, then she spoke.

“ _Pruzah grind, malkiir._ ”

Hazel’s golden eyes rose to meet those of her teacher. “ _Paaz shul grind._ ”

 

_It’s not our spirits that define us, but what we do with them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some translations~  
> Hi kinbok - "You're the eldest"  
> Pruzah grind - a happy greeting  
> Paaz shul grind - a reverent greeting, literally "Fair Sun Meet."  
> malkiir - "little one"


	6. Litha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hazel and the Ancient One celebrate midsummer, and Hazel's Guests reveal an unusual aspect of their nature to the Ancient One.

**Litha**

Perhaps the Ancient One liked Hazel, just a little. But she didn’t dare act on it; imagine, a time being so old and powerful as the Ancient One loving a student so young and careless as Hazel Grace. Besides, she had a job to do, things to monitor in the mystical world, and between that and taking care of herself, the Ancient One had little time left over. And that time would be spent doing something more productive than playing games with her newest student. However, this afternoon, the Ancient One was distracted and compelled to find out why.

While making an inquisitive round about the sanctuary, the Ancient One first noticed that the place was cleaner than usual, and the various alters and candle spaces throughout the grounds were decorated with flowers, candles in green and orange, and birds. Pictures of birds, figurines of birds, the word “bird” written in fancy letters on pieces of stationary. What was all this about? Was this all Hazel’s doing?

She found said student in the courtyard, playing a game with her favorite tree.

“Was this your card?” Hazel asked, holding a tarot card up for the tree to see. The leaves shivered. Hazel chuckled and put the card back in the deck. The Ancient One peered over her shoulder at the spread of cards laid out on a velvet cloth.

“Tarot reading?” she asked. “I had no idea you were interested in divining.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Hazel shrugged. Then her fingers grew feeble as if she just realized who she was talking to. “I mean... not really. I was just....”

“Is this a game?” The Ancient One raised a brow as she surveyed the spread.

“Um... yeah,” Hazel nodded “My guest picks cards, then I tell them a story or give them a fake reading.”

“That sounds interesting. Would you read one for me?”

Hazel’s hands stilled, but it wasn’t a terrified motion. Just thoughtful. She raised her head to scrutinize her elder. She kind of expected the Ancient One to just be polite and leave, yet here they were.

“Sure,” Hazel’s mouth curved into a wide grin. “Go ahead and sit down.”

The other sat on the bench in front of Hazel as the girl gathered her cards and began shuffling.

“Now,” Hazel began in her most captivating voice. “I’m going to ask you questions, then pick cards based on your answers. You don’t have to be completely truthful with your answers. Actually, just lie to me--the cards won’t know the difference.”

“Alright,” the other nodded.

“Okay, tell me about yourself. What was your kindergarten boyfriend’s favorite color?”

“I didn’t go to kindergarten. It wasn’t invented back then.”

Hazel narrowed her eyes and glanced at her phone. “HERMES, when was kindergarten invented?”

The AI replied, “The first kindergarten was established in 1837 by Friedrich Froebel.”

“Alright,” Hazel shrugged and put a card face-down on the velvet cloth. “Have I ever told you that you look good for you age?”

“No?”

Hazel put another card down. “Do you dogear book pages or use a bookmark?”

“I use a bookmark, of course,” the Ancient One looked offended that Hazel even asked.

“Oh, good,” Hazel nodded. “I don’t have to question your leadership skills now. Age?”

“Older than you, I’d imagine.”

A few passing students lingered and stared. What was the Ancient One doing out of hiding receiving a tarot reading from that girl? Probably just making her feel better? Teaching a lesson about the ineffectiveness of tarot readings? A pair of students grew to a small group of acolytes and novices spread about the yard, listening but not looking, eager to see the Ancient One receive a tarot reading.

“What color are your eyes?” Hazel asked.

“Hazel.”

The girl glared at the elder.

“What?” the Ancient One asked. Hazel pouted and set down another card.

“First memory of your first pet?”

“First pet? Hm... my dog once rolled in a dead seal she found on the beach.”

“She _what_?” Hazel snorted.

“You said I could lie,” the Ancient One smirked. She didn’t remember any of her pets.

“Alright, one last question,” Hazel picked up the first card. “Is the High Priestess your birth card?”

The elder froze, wide-eyed with shock. She glanced around the courtyard at their audience, momentarily petrified. Then she composed herself. What did they care about tarot cards? They probably thought it was nonsense. They wouldn’t care what her birth card was.

“How did you know?” her voice was still low when she spoke to Hazel again.

Hazel flipped over the first card, revealing the High Priestess. She shrugged.

“Lucky guess?”

Intrigued, the woman leaned forward, listening intently to Hazel’s story.

“Then, your journey starts, and you’re yourself,” Hazel began. “You’re young, almost terribly so, until you...” Hazel flipped over the next card. The Hanged Man. “You set aside the material and the mundane. You tire of the way things have always been, and, forgetting your material concerns, you try another avenue. However, even with your placating contemplating, your too young for this gift--and it’s too old for you. Regardless, you continue.”

Hazel turned over the next card in line. The Two of Pentacles.

“Let go of the old and make room for the new,” Hazel recited the meaning of the card. “Reflecting has gotten you nowhere, so you decide to take initiative and seek out a life that you may be able to reflect on. You become a wanderer. You tell all those you pass by that you’re a hunter, searching for the world’s truest treasure, but you don’t know what that is, so how could you expect to find it? Like the wolf chasing the sun, you will only find what you seek at the end of the world, when everything around you begins to die. Then, when the world gives up on you, only then will you find your treasure.”

Hazel turned over the next card. Wheel of Fortune.

“That’s me,” Hazel mumbled, but shook herself off and continued the story. “And you do. The world freezes over, plants and animals shriveling in the cold and dark, burning to ash in the blinding light. The very air is rancid with the taste, like ash, like the cremated remains of a slaughtered, orphan lamb.”

She glanced up from the spread. As she’d hoped, her audience was enthralled.

“As for you,” Hazel continued. “You made your bed, and it’s time to lie in it. You’re blind. There’s nothing left in the world for you to see.”

“Blind?” the Ancient One echoed, disheartened. “ _Sado tey_.” ( _How bleak is the tale._ )

“All stories are bleak, for a time,” Hazel replied. “Without misfortune, there can’t be true fortune, can there?”

The elder remained silent, waiting patiently for the less-fortunate part of the story. Hazel looks down at the cards and turns the next one over. The Devil card.

“A monster appears. A hideous mass of ash and tar with a crown of great antlers atop his head.”

The Ancient One’s hands shook.

“He sees what you have brought to this world and asks if he could take the remains as his own, in return for restoring your youth and removing all your pain. You know he will only ruin what’s left because he knows what the world once was, and he would recall the world and defile everything he touched until the very spirit of all who knows him is obliterated. Then he would travel to another world--one where his name has never been spoken--and do the same. Such is the way of the Monster.

“But,” Hazel holds up a finger. “Behind the monster is another, a familiar of the moon--a stag bathed in light, a creature of patience, temperance, and compromise. This familiar bargains with you. Give him the world, and he would restore it--and you, to an extent--but the world would be his, and it would be known by the Monster, who would thirst for it until the end of time. You’re left with a choice.”

Hazel leaned back and stared imploringly at her teacher. “Would you choose to sacrifice the world for yourself, or sacrifice yourself for the world?”

The Ancient One blinked, at once remembering that this was only a story. What did it matter what she chose? She wanted to see a happy ending, of course, but would Hazel twist whatever answer into an unsuitable ending? There was danger in either path, yet...

“I wish to restore the world,” the woman answered after a moment of consideration. “I’ll take the moon familiar’s bargain.”

Hazel nodded and turned over the last card, the Eight of Cups.

“You grant the moon familiar yourself to be sacrificed. The stag takes your strength as his own and vanquishes the Monster who would never be seen again. The world is restored--lush vegetation and flowers sprout up from the ash, bones of starved animals rise and are nourished into life again. Dry riverbeds bubble with living, glowing, breathing water that sings as it tumbles through rocky mountains and vast valleys. The sun rises to its rightful place once more, and, weary and aged, the moon familiar returns to its master. As for you, you see the world before you, but what’s done is done. You forget the old ways, but with the world and your being renewed, you now reflect on what you remember, and live your life weaving your reflection into the tapestry of time.”

“I become a teacher,” the Ancient One rephrased. Hazel smiled at her and shrugged, then began gathering the cards. “I think that was the most interesting tarot reading I’ve ever had.”

“Really? I’m glad you liked it.”

The Ancient One looked up and stared around the courtyard. The students that had gathered to eavesdrop quickly scattered out of sight. Hazel and the Ancient One were alone again.

“Is this practice for tonight?” the woman asked.

“Tonight?” Hazel raised her head.

The other was looking at the sky. “It’s Litha again, isn’t it?”

“Oh. Yeah, it is.”

The Ancient One smiled and looked back at the girl. “Surely you have something exciting planned?”

Hazel hummed and shrugged. “I thought about it, but I’m not really up for it.”

“Why not?” the Ancient One stared imploringly at her. “I thought you were managing your Guests better now. Are you still being attacked?”

“It’s not that,” Hazel stared at the ground. “I just don’t feel like doing anything.”

“That’s too bad,” the woman continued to frown. “I thought you were going to try to summon that firebird you’ve been researching. Kamar-Taj is such a quiet place with the wards keeping all spirits out. I was looking forward to seeing some of your Guests livening up the place tonight.”

“REally?” The cards in Hazel’s hands scattered across the stone ground. The other knelt beside Hazel to help her gather the cards.

“Well.... Of course.”

Hazel waited for her to say more, but the Ancient One didn’t have anything more to say about the matter. The girl gave a sly smirk.

“I think we should do it, then,” she said. “You and me.”

Hazel brazenly took the cards that the elder had gathered.

“I don’t know, Hazel....” When the Ancient One felt Hazel’s warm, soft fingers against her own, she immediately drew away. She didn’t mean to be rude, but thankfully, Hazel didn’t notice. “I don’t think... I’m sorry--I shouldn’t have encouraged you like that.”

“Come on,” Hazel took the other’s arm, making the woman stiffen and look up. “I’m dying to do something!”

The elder considered it, then looked at Hazel’s bright smile, then considered it some more. In the end, she figured, what could it hurt? She had to admit, being invited to do something frivolous was a refreshing turn of events after the last few weeks.

 

The two prepared for the party in a swift, orderly fashion. They cleaned out the second courtyard and cast stones around a conjured pillar of firewood. Since they didn’t have the time to prepare a feast or attraction, they left it at that. Then they bathed, dressed in orange, gold, and white, and regrouped in the courtyard. Hazel had brought her shamisen to entertain the Guests.

Needless to say, when students and masters passing by saw the Ancient One and that American girl pacing slowly around a fire, chanting in a language no one else understood, the bystanders were inclined to linger. Mordo happened upon a group of students lingering on a balcony overlooking the yard. A few of the younger ones should have been in their rooms by now.

“Don’t you have a curfew to adhere to?” he asked, but the acolytes weren’t snapped from their bewitched state.

“Hey, I have a question,” Stephen prompted. “What are they doing?”

Mordo approached the edge of the balcony to see what the others were gawking at. His eyebrows drew together in confusion as he scrutinized the Ancient One. Hazel, he could understand--and if he couldn’t, all the better--but what was the Sorcerer Supreme doing flitting around a fire like a common Pagan?

“It’s no concern of yours,” Mordo snapped, ushering the reluctant students on. “You shouldn’t watch the Ancient One work. Young ones, to bed. The rest of you, surely you have something better to do.”

 _Go do something else._ All but one of the students scattered reluctantly.

“Strange?” Mordo prompted. The other man’s eyes never left the courtyard. Why was he so entranced by this?

“Looks like the Ancient One’s converted to Paganism,” Stephen smirked, but his tone was wary. The master kept his own concern well-concealed.

“It’s still real,” Mordo stated. The two of them steeled as the wind picked up, rustling the leaves on the trees and the shutters on the windows until the hall sounded like it was screaming.

Hazel spoke over the clamor, shouting something in a language neither man could identify. The air stilled immediately. The kindling within the circle of stones began rattling like hanging bones. The Ancient One stared at the firewood intently. Then, the wood burst into brilliant orange flames. Hazel cheered and laughed, exhilarated by their success.

“Seems like a lot of hullabaloo over a common fire spell,” Stephen grinned softly in a usual condescending manner. In a way, he was relieved they hadn’t summoned a demon. Not that he reasonably believed in such… but the Ancient One’s words about Hazel’s Guests had him spooked for sure.

“No,” Mordo shook his head with a genuine grin of his own. When they examined the fire again, they saw the shivering flames taking the aspect of a winged, four-legged creature. Hazel had settled down by now, and she and the Ancient One bowed to the Guest in a respectful greeting.

“It’s a fire spirit,” Mordo explained. “Very old and powerful too, by the look of it. I’m sure even the Ancient One sees something like that very rarely now.”

Stephen quickly turned to head down to the yard, meaning to get a closer look at the rare beast, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Mordo shook his head in warning. Stephen looked out one last time, enchanted not only by the bird, but by the look on the Ancient One’s face as she watched Hazel and the firebird. She looked… peaceful. Warm. _~~Fond?~~_

The two men retreated back inside and kept what they saw a secret.

 

Later that night, Stephen’s studies were interrupted. Strange’s astral form hovered at the foot of his bed, as it did routinely since he learned how to astral project. He read tirelessly, learning elements of magic even while his human body rested and recovered. It was late, and under the new moon, all of Kamar-Taj seemed still and silent as if in slumber or death. However, a sudden sound drew Stephen’s attention away from his book. He felt a tugging from elsewhere, as if someone had called his name from another room. Curiously, the doctor set the book aside and levitated out the door and down the hallway.

He reached a balcony overlooking the largest courtyard and faltered. The courtyard still glowed from the light cast by the bon-firebird, but now, several figures danced about, making a ruckus as they went. That’s where all the noise came from, Stephen decided. Did more students join Hazel’s party? He didn’t think Kamar-Taj condoned such activity--especially after curfew.

Stephen considered going down there and joining the magical Zen school frat party--or shouting and telling them to pipe down--but he honestly found no intrigue in all that. He swiftly turned and headed back down the hallway.

“Idiots,” he hissed with a scornful roll of his eyes.

 

**Gifts**

A big to-do was made the next morning about whoever threw that party. Other masters who hadn’t been informed of the Litha bonfire were confused and disconcerted when they saw the evidence of the party. When Stephen heard that whoever threw that party was in “big trouble of the don’t-you-know-better-than-to-invite-powerful-spirits-within-the-wards-you-are-so-getting-your-sling-ring-confiscated variety,” he expected to see the courtyard trashed or something. However, when he saw the yard for himself, he stopped and gawked along with all the other students. Now, normally when a large group was involved, it would be difficult to place the culprit right away, but luckily for the masters of Kamar-Taj, the spirits that were invited to the bash left _hostess gifts_ in a large pile in the courtyard.

The pile of gifts looked like a small mountain of multi-colored packages, all tagged and addressed to a _Jasper Hazel Grace._

The hostess herself stood in awe at her gifts, then apprehension as she saw how the masters circled around the pile with an obviously wary and nearly hostile attitude. The instant they caught sight of her, Master Junzo approached her with a severe expression on his face.

“What’s the meaning of this, acolyte?” he demanded.

“Meaning of what?” her eyes wandered the courtyard frantically, as if the packages were nothing out of place. “I... may have had a few friends over.”

“So, you were responsible for the breach in the wards last night,” he frowned. He addressed the other masters in the courtyard. “Dispose of these at once. We’ll not have--”

“You can’t just throw those away!” Hazel circled him to stand between him and her gifts, her face stern. Bystanders were surprised to see an inexperienced thing like her acting so assertive towards a master. “Wait a minute. Those packages are gifts to _me._ You have no business with them.”

“Your materialism must learn limits,” Junzo argued. “We do not wear our worth, and _this_ is clearly overstepping what we allow.”

“But I didn’t _buy_ those. They were left for me. Some of them are from powerful spirits, look--”

“This is _not_ how we do things, Miss Grace. You’ve been arrogant for long enough; if you don’t start following the rules here, we’ll throw you out on top of all your trinkets.”

She pursed her lips and spoke very quietly. “If I’m not welcome here because I can communicate with spirits without binding them, then I have no interest in learning here. And I’ll take my things to my room and be out of your hair before sundown. Thank you for having me. Sorry to trouble you.”

She turned on her heel and began gathering the packages. Those who remained in the courtyard stared in a mixture of awe and apprehension as they processed what went on in the last few moments. Stephen watched the ordeal, bewildered. At first, he thought Master Junzo would lash out at her, but the master knew better than to betray his emotions--especially anger--in a situation like this. Calmly as he’d approached Hazel, he turned and walked away, giving Strange a stern glance as he passed. After that, Stephen was about to leave the courtyard to attend his classes when a new figure glided into the courtyard from the other side. Stephen hesitated; the theatrics weren’t over yet.

            This spectacle was apparently such an event that the Ancient One herself had come to investigate amidst all these people. She’d set things right, Stephen thought, since she was involved last night. The woman in blue stopped beside Hazel, who was still doubled over gathering packages.

“What’s all this?” she asked. Hazel stared at a small trail of ants marching on the ground between her feet.

“Gifts,” Hazel straightened, her hair a mess. “The Guests left them for me, I guess.”

“Oh,” the other looked on with an unreadable face. She didn’t seem displeased per se, but that didn’t make her complacent either. “I want to see you, as soon as you have all these gathered up.”

“Yes.”

As the elder turned and approached the masters with a manner that made her look graceful and weightless, Hazel felt as if all the air in her lungs had been sucked out. She hadn’t been scolded by the Ancient One yet, but she still had a reason to dread. Speaking with the elder alone was infinitely more terrifying than being reprimanded in front of everyone in the world.

 

Later that afternoon, however, Mordo found the Ancient One and Hazel in the elder’s rooms, unwrapping and making a list of the gifts Hazel had received.

“Look at this beautiful robe!” Hazel squealed as she held up a shimmering green cloak with a bird painted on the back.

“A spring familiar robe,” the Ancient One recalled. “I’ve not seen one in years.”

“And look at all this,” Hazel unwrapped another package, revealing sticks and cones of earth-colored incense. The Ancient One took some and lifted it closer to her face to smell it.

“Myrrh,” she mumbled, skeptically at first. “And dragon’s blood. This is good incense.”

Then she tucked it away in her pocket, eliciting a small “hey” from Hazel.

Mordo looked on in shock.

“What is this?” he demanded, trying to sound respectful despite his bewilderment.

“What?” the Ancient One turned her head. “Do you expect me to buy new incense all the time? Do you have any idea how expensive that would be, given we don’t charge people here?”

“No, I suppose....” She was supposed to be reprimanding Hazel! Why was this okay?! “Forgive me, Ancient One, but you... _know_ Hazel received these by destroying our wards and hosting an unsolicited party last night.”

“It wasn’t unsolicited,” the woman picked up a glossy, blue teacup from the table of unwrapped gifts. “You saw Hazel and I both invite the spirits past the barrier. I assure you, no harm was done.”

“No harm...” Mordo looked at the piles of gifts around the room. The Ancient One narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

Hazel sprang to her feet. “I’m gonna go change into this, okay?”

The Ancient One nodded, but Hazel hadn’t given either of them chance to react before she darted out of the room with the robe in her hand.

The Ancient One set the teacup down gingerly.

“I hope you’re not forgetting yourself,” she reminded Mordo.

He bowed his head. “Of course not, Ancient One. I was merely... I only wish to contain Hazel’s power.”

“You don’t have to. She’s not overstepping her bounds by inviting innocent spirits into Kamar-Taj.” Her voice softened again. “Why do you concern yourself with repressing her so much?”

Mordo measured his words very carefully, but they came easily enough. He’d been thinking about this for several days now. All the masters had.

“Hazel is different. She learns differently than others, and she practices differently than we teach. She’s arrogant, ambitious--things you’ve seen in people that you’ve turned away for those very things. Not only that, she’s a brilliant student, and she knows that. And if she found out that you can’t fully sever the ties between her and her Main Guest... I fear she’ll turn against you. Why are you encouraging _her_?”

 _Her_. Her arrogance that was caution at its core. As for her ambition--what good student didn’t have a drive to do better? However, the Sorceress Supreme couldn’t doubt that Mordo was confronting her about a very serious concern that was justified and deserved speculation. The Ancient One couldn’t lose her ground over a misunderstanding.

She was taking too long to answer. Why did she encourage Hazel? What is this obsession she had with nurturing Hazel regardless of her faults? Was it really so important if she lost another student to the darkness? Hazel knew better than that. So why did the Ancient One regard any possibility of losing the girl with unshakeable dread and fear?

“Hazel Grace... knows too much about magic now. She has the ability to channel energy from very powerful beings. I wish to temper that, teach her control before she becomes unteachable. And if I taught every student the same, they’d all grow rigid and stale. Would you truly expel any student that didn’t meet your expectations?”

“No,” Mordo shook his head. “I’m sorry for speaking out of turn. Whatever your judgement is, I will follow you. I only worry about her. She’s so much like Kaecilius, it startles me.”

“I’m aware of that,” the Ancient One nodded. “But she isn’t Kaecilius. Remember that, and she’ll become a fine sorceress.”

“You’ve seen it?” Mordo asked out of a need for reassurance. The Ancient One glanced at the door, as if expecting Hazel to return.

“I could.”

 

**Grave**

4:23 a.m.

Hazel was tip-toeing through the corridors again, candle in hand. It was dark. It was late. Yet dawn was so close, if she could only last for another hour—

She could hear the Thing creeping through the hallways, creaking like worn bones.

“Come out,” it said. “Come, _come_ ….”

Hazel hid inside the linen cupboard at the end of the hall. She blew out the candle and covered her mouth to muffle her panting. Blind and dumb, Hazel sat in statuesque terror as the creaking drew closer. A shadow crossed in front of her hiding place, making her tense and nearly whimper with fear. It would pass. They always did. She was the invisible one.

The shadow came to an abrupt stop that sounded like rustling leaves.

“I hear you,” it said in its reedy gasp. “Where _are_ you?”

The doors of the cupboard began to shake slightly, then rattle violently. Hazel heard the squealing of claws scraping against the wood. She saw a thin, sharp appendage, like a finger made out of a curved, flat bone, slide through the crack between the doors and wheedle closer to her. Then more such claws inched through the gap, tugging and bending the wood panels aside. Slowly, the doors swung out to reveal the face of the monster.

“THERE YOU ARE.”

 

The Ancient One reached the healer’s ward just after dawn. She greeted the healer politely, but he could tell by the way she constantly looked around that she was frantically looking for something.

“What’s happened?” Kai asked.

“There’s been a breach in the wards,” she informed him. “And Hazel’s nowhere to be found. Have you seen her at all?”

“Yes, she’s here.”

Hazel could hear them. Kai led the Ancient One into the room to stand by Hazel’s cot. The girl lied perfectly still, staring at the ceiling with a hopeless expression on her face.

“What happened?” the Ancient One asked. “Was she attacked?”

“Not that I could tell,” Kai’s eyebrows drew together. “Hazel arrived here about an hour ago—she was completely distraught; she kept insisting that her ribs were broken and one of her legs was gone. As you can see, she’s not injured any, so I wasn’t sure what…”

The Ancient One’s gaze traveled down Hazel’s uninjured body. She was missing a shoe.

“Someone walked over my grave.”

The Ancient One faced Hazel again as her voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “What’s that?”

Hazel sat up, never blinking, her gaze never faltering from the Sorcerer Supreme. She didn’t know what was possessing her. “You think I was sleepwalking, don’t you? But if that’s true, why did I wake up here, so much farther from the dawn than I remember? Someone had to have walked over my grave, of course.”

“You could have been dreaming,” the Ancient One regarded her calmly, offering a rational suggestion. But she knew better. Hazel gave a short chuckle, an amused scoff.

“Fine,” she threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood. “I should head back to my room. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.”

“No…” Kai watched her go but did the bare minimum to stop her. The Ancient One followed Hazel out before glancing over her shoulder at Kai.

“If anyone asks for me,” the Ancient One said, “I’ll be in the library.”

 

Once in the library, the Ancient One retrieved the Book of Cagliostro and flipped through the worn pages. If Hazel had been sent back in time when she was caught by a Guest, then these Guests had to be using some power she could find in this book. She only hoped she could find an explanation before any of the other masters heard about it…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note on how I translate dragon tongue: whilst dragon tongue itself is very blunt and often crass compared to other spoken languages, each word can have several different meanings in context (as with all language). So, in order to fully portray the intended meaning of each phrase, I will be translating them into a conversational equivalent phrase when I can rather than literal translation. This should make it easier for everyone involved!


	7. Forbidden Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The students of Kamar-Taj are given a day off. The Masters discuss Hazel's possible connection to the Dark Dimension. Hazel makes contact with followers of Dormammu.

**Free Day**

For one day every month, the students at Kamar-Taj are allowed a day to dress in casual clothes and leave the sanctuary if they wanted to. Hazel was up early, surprisingly well-rested, and hung around the courtyard until breakfast. The blue-flowered tree seemed to shiver when it saw her, as if it was alive and aware of her.

“Good morning,” she greeted it, kneeling by its roots and digging shallow bowls in the soil. “I found more snail shells for you. Just like you like.”

She placed four or five of the shells—each varying in size and color—in the shallow divots in the dirt. A gentle breeze tugged at her hair. A cicada resting on a higher branch chirped, making Hazel raise her head. Her attention was drawn to a package nestled between two branches; it was wrapped in white paper and held together with a ribbon, and on that ribbon hung a card reading, “ _To Hazel Grace_.”

Hazel stood and retrieved the package. Within the paper, she found a light blue cotton robe with five-petalled flowers painted on the sleeves and lower body.

“This is gorgeous—it’s perfect!” she gleefully slipped her arms into the sleeves and drew the collar close to her neck. The robe itself was warm and smelled like wildflowers. As she stood marveling at the robe and murmuring words of thanks to her plant friend, a group of acolytes a few years older than Hazel approached her calmly. Rei led the group, and her two friends Tara and Lucas trailed behind.

“Are you sure about this?” Tara asked Rei.

“Yes,” Rei reassured them. “She’s fine. Hey, Hazel.”

Hazel jumped, as if startled that anyone was calling her name, and looked at the acolytes standing before her and a few feet away. Close enough to be friendly, but far enough away to be disregarded.

“Wanna come sit with us?” Tara invited the girl to breakfast.

“Oh, um...” Hazel glanced around, at the tree. It didn’t seem offended. Actually, as it stood still before her, she visualized it ushering her on. Hazel stepped off the dirt and back onto the stone. “Sure....”

She didn’t expect any other acolytes to try befriending her, especially after her tarot-and-Litha stunt the other day, but it turns out that’s what compelled the students to approach her in the first place.

“So, you gave the Ancient One a tarot reading?” Lucas asked.

“Well, not a conventional one,” Hazel shrugged. “It was a game. I hope I didn’t offend her or anything, now that I think about it.”

“Don’t worry,” Tara smiled. “I watched the whole thing. Trust me, she was really into it. You’re a good story teller, Hazel.”

Hazel tilted her head politely. “Thanks for saying so.”

After getting trays of food in the dining hall, Rei guided the other three to a table where another boy and Stephen Strange sat. Stephen raised a hand to regard Hazel. She waved. The other man at the table spread his arms out to welcome the new girl.

“The Pagan enters our midst!”

Hazel narrowed her eyes. “I’m not Pagan, actually.”

“Ignore him,” Rei rolled her eyes.

“Just having a little fun,” he raised a hand in surrender, then offered it to Hazel. “The name’s Liam, by the way. It’s nice to formally meet you, Haze.”

“ _Hazel_ ,” she corrected firmly, and gave his hand a curt squeeze. She instantly recoiled and wrinkled her nose.

“Apologies.”

Hazel nodded, as if in approval, and squeezed in next to Strange. It wasn’t her first choice, but it was either sitting by Stephen or sitting by Liam, and she could choose who she was more disenchanted by. Still, she gave Stephen an awkward, kind of pleading glance as she sat down. Luckily, at the very worst, he just looked disinterested.

“So, what’s with the robe?” Stephen asked.

“The _tree_ gave it to her,” Rei leaned across the table to interject. “Isn’t that incredible?”

“Hold on,” Hazel whispered, half-embarrassed at Reiko’s statement and half-too-terrified to confront her. “I just got this after Litha. And besides, it’s for Tangahshii today; I had to wear a cotton robe, and this was the only one I had on hand.”

Lucas eyed her uncertainly. “Another Pagan festival?”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s... ah....”

She trailed off when she caught the other students giving her looks. Maybe it was best to keep it to herself.

“It’s not blood magic,” she plead with them. “It’s not even demonic. It protects from demons, and since I’ve already participated in Tangahshii for several years, I have to do it.”

“You don’t have to tell us about it,” Tara grumbled. Hazel heaved a sigh.

“Just take me to running water sometime today, please,” she requested. “That’s all. Even a sewage drain would work, as long as runs.”

“You’re not going to make a scene in the middle of town, are you?” Tara asked. “You know that’s kind of forbidden, right?”

“I’m sure whatever ritual I perform won’t look too strange to an onlooker here,” Hazel raised her chin. “It’s not like I’ll be manipulating eldritch energy like we do in our classes.”

 “Then what’s the point?” Stephen asked. Hazel frowned and opened her mouth to say something indignant when a voice spoke up behind them.

“I hope you aren’t giving Hazel trouble on a holiday.”

Hazel spun around, a wide grin on her face as she was blessed with the presence of her favorite thing in the world. The other students shifted slightly, shaking their heads.

“Good,” the Ancient One smiled and looked at Hazel. “ _Sot heyv, geh_?”

“ _Ah, Tangah-shii,_ actually,” Hazel corrected gently. “We’re going to the river for it. You wanna come along? You’re pale enough to die—a little sunshine would be good for you.”

The elder balked, a bit startled, before shaking her head politely. “I’d like to, but... I’m very busy today, Hazel. Go enjoy your free day; a master’s work is never done.”

“O-oh,” Hazel’s face turned red. “Right. Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” the other nodded, then left them like that.

Hazel turned back to her food, trying to ignore how the others stared at her. Of course she couldn’t just invite a teacher out to do something with her. After the bonfire and the tarot game, Hazel completely forgot that was even a rule in the first place. Luckily, Rei and the others were willing to brush over the awkward moment.

“Don’t feel bad, Hazel,” Rei smiled. “You were just being nice; she just doesn’t leave Kamar-Taj unless it’s important.”

“Yeah,” Hazel returned the smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

 

**Meeting**

Following the events of last night, the Ancient One called an urgent meeting among the Masters of the Mystic Arts. If her suspicions were true--and it was very unlikely that they weren’t--Hazel’s problem affected everyone, and the masters needed to be aware. Conveniently, the meeting would occur in the middle of a free day at Kamar-Taj, ensuring the masters had the place to themselves and that no students might overhear and cause a panic. Hazel had a hard enough time interacting with others; if the students got the idea that Hazel was involved with anything truly harmful, she’d be an outcast regardless of if the masters allowed her to stay.

Mordo walked with the Ancient One to the meeting. He took note of her reasonable tension, but the way her hands quivered at her sides worried him.

“You’re shaking,” he said quietly. An observation, a question, an offer to help, all wrapped in two small words. _You’ll frighten them._

The Ancient One was quick to reply, but her words sent a chill through him.

“That tea I had earlier... I think it had caffeine in it.”

“What?!” Mordo struggled to keep his voice level. “But you’re usually so thorough when you replenish our supply....”

“I know. I’ve been distracted of late. If this continues, I fear the worst may be yet to come.”

“Why now?” Mordo whispered. “Why today? If the masters see you like this, they’ll....”

“I’m well aware of our situation, Mordo. But I assure you, they won’t begin to doubt me. They need me more than they need sense from me. It’s a worrisome thing, really.”

“Worrisome?” he narrowed his eyes but didn’t have time to question her further. They’d arrived at the meeting and all the other masters—fourteen in total—fell silent. They all took their seats promptly.

The Ancient One knew they had no time to waste on pleasantries.

“I apologize for summoning all of you so suddenly,” she began. “A few of you know of a student I accepted at the beginning of the summer.” For those who didn’t, she then clarified. “Hazel Grace is a medium, and although she couldn’t compare with any of our students before coming here, her attentive, resilient nature gives her a talent in the mystic arts. She originally came to me because she is being haunted by something from another dimension. We haven’t been able to identify what it is or where it’s coming from, but after the events of last night, I’m sure this thing is either from or working with the Dark Dimension.”

An upset murmur coursed through the room. The Ancient One continued.

“Last night, Hazel came to me and told me that one of her rogue spirits caught her and transported her back in time. She won’t speak about it now; she remembers it as if it were just a nightmare that she’d had, but she came to me before her memory was compromised in her post-dream state. I consulted the Book of Cagliostro and found some similarities between her account and those that have had contact with the Dark Dimension. However, with pages missing from the book, I can’t be sure yet.”

The other masters began debating at once.

“Do you think she’s involved with Kaecilius?”

Mordo narrowed his eyes. “That’s not likely. Hazel has been having these encounters for too many years.”

“But that doesn’t stop her from being a catalyst,” Danial Drumm spoke up. “If she’s also using power from the Dark Dimension, she could have recently been in contact with Kaecilius.”

“Possibly,” the Ancient One nodded.

“Why isn’t Hazel with us?” Hamir asked. “This concerns her as much as the breach did, and she was allowed at that meeting—when she was a mere novice, might I add.”

“Hazel is paying respects to her Guests today,” the Ancient One explained. “It’s best we don’t trivialize that.”

“What does it matter if she’s paying respects to anything?” Master Junzo demanded. “If this girl is drawing power from the Dark Dimension, we have no business to ignore it.”

The Sorceress Supreme raised her eyebrows at this.

“She’s corrupting the natural law--something she’s been doing since arriving at Kamar-Taj. If what you’re saying is true, we must put an end to her _practices_ for good.”

“Hazel Grace will not be harmed,” the Ancient One said with a startling forcefulness to her tone. “She’s not drawing power from anything. Her Main Guest might be. And I brought her here so she could control her Guest. She’s the vessel, not the antagonist.”

“Then we do away with the girl,” Master Junzo suggested. This time, several heads turned. “Destroy the vessel, and you destroy the tie to our dimension.”

“You couldn’t kill Hazel Grace,” Mordo smirked through his disgust and irritation.

“You train her,” Junzo snapped. “You know she’s as formidable as she is careful. Who are you to say Hazel couldn’t be overtaken?”

“He isn’t,” the Ancient One started. “I am. And I will not have one of my students sacrificed when there is a better way to handle the situation.”

Master Junzo lowered his austere gaze and sighed. “Of course. Forgive me, Ancient One. I forgot my place.”

“It wasn’t your place you forgot,” she turned to the others.

After a moment, Tina Minoru raised her head. “With all due respect, Kaecilius and his followers would benefit from having a spy of her... particular talents _close_ to the Sorcerer Supreme. We need to take precautions until we can confirm her standing in the situation.”

The Ancient One nodded. She was afraid they’d all come to that conclusion.

 

**To Search, to Steal**

The six students headed for the Bagmati river at the edge of Kathmandu. Hazel accidently took over the conversation, talking more and more about Tangahshii without ever explaining what exactly it was. Her new friends never stopped her; in fact, they were somehow bewitched by the very idea and longed to know more about Hazel’s practice. Even if she did things differently than at Kamar-Taj, she still practiced an effective and fascinating magic of her own.

“I’ve always wanted to observe Tangahshii at the Bagmati river,” Hazel sighed wistfully. “Local Hindus dip their dead in the water before cremating them, right?”

“Some do,” Lucas nodded.

“That’s part of why it’s such a big deal here,” Hazel continued. “Sorry. I guess I’m not making any sense. The river that I usually use back home is just a duck river, so it’s not really satisfying. But I talk to a lot of people who think they’re lucky to get to drift away in Bagmati.”

Stephen narrowed his eyes and took a mental note. He wanted to check the library for details on this “Tangahshii” ceremony she kept talking about. He’d never heard of it, and from the looks of it, neither had any of his fellow classmates.

“So long as we can find it,” Liam mumbled, looking around the eerily empty dead-end street. “You can do whatever you want there.”

“What do you mean if we find it?”

“I know where it is,” Lucas volunteered. “I just don’t know where we are.”

Hazel glanced at her watch, then up at the position of the sun. “Do you know what side of town it was on?”

She was trying to be helpful, but in truth she was getting a little anxious. She needed to reach the river before sundown.

Tara scanned the area. “If we head back towards the market, the streets should open up a bit more. Then, we’ll just... Reiko.”

The higher acolyte followed Tara’s gaze and glanced around the narrow street as the group was surrounded by strangers in red robes.

“Not good,” Liam shifted, trying to block Hazel and Strange from view. “Zealots.”

“Who are they?” Stephen asked quietly. “Are they with Kaecilius?”

“Yes,” Lucas replied in a level, quiet tone. “Strange, as soon as you can, you and Hazel get back to Kamar-Taj. Tell the masters what’s going on.”

“Right--”

Before Stephen or Hazel could move, the Zealots advanced. The students prepared for battle.

Hazel conjured two shields right away, as did Strange. There were easily nine Zealots altogether, outnumbering the students by just enough to have the upper hand. What were they doing out here attacking students? What did they have to gain? If any of the masters had been aware that there was a possibility of Zealots attacking out of the blue like this, the students wouldn’t have been allowed to leave Kamar-Taj alone. What made the Zealots suddenly switch gears and start a fight with mere acolytes in the middle of the day?

As Hazel conjured a shield to block attacks, she figured she could hold her own long enough to get away. However, just as she was about to make an opening in the group to flee, she felt as if the ground beneath her vanished. Her spells dissipated, and she couldn’t reconjure anything no matter how hard she tried. What was this? The world felt wrong around her--dark and cold and strange, so much like that place that her astral form was taken away to on bad nights.

Disoriented, but not defeated, Hazel forgot spell-casting. She knew things about hand-to-hand combat in theory, but she knew better than to try it in practice right now. So, she bolted, and when she was caught, she fought like any helpless girl would—dirty. She kicked shins, bit arms, anything she could to free herself from this situation. However, like a zebra pursued by a lion in the Sahara Desert, she fell victim to her own failing stamina. And that would be her undoing.

Someone’s arms grabbed her from behind to restrain her. Hazel thrashed and kicked and swore. Fear quickly settled in her stomach like a large block of ice when she realized with despair that there was no way out of this situation.

“Get off of me!” she snarled.

“Hazel!” Lucas shouted, struggling to get past two Zealots to help her. However, he never made it in time.

With Hazel in tow, the Zealots withdrew, one conjuring a portal and the others holding the students off as Hazel was wrestled through the portal. Defeated as they were, the students could do little to stop their opponents as they retreated through the portal. Before the gateway closed, a final, ferocious shout cut through the street.

“Let me go, you son of a bitch!”

 

**~~For a God~~ **

The Ancient One knew something was wrong. Absentmindedly, as if possessed, she got to her feet and began walking down the halls and stairs, aimlessly wandering and hoping to find the source of her distress. What happened? She didn’t have to wait long for her answer; a group of students had returned early from their day out, injured and in a panic. Mordo was with them, trying to calm them enough so they could tell him what happened. The Ancient One stared at them as she descended the stairs to join them. She’d never seen students of hers act so frantically.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice miraculously level to conceal growing panic of her own. The other students momentarily froze and seemed to remember to collect themselves. “What happened to you?”

“We were attacked in town,” Lucas spoke quickly. “Kaecilius’ Zealots found us.”

“They attacked you?” the woman looked confused, concerned, but not panicked. Why would they attack students? “What happened to them?”

Then, when her eyes found those of Stephen Strange, an unsettling realization dawned on her.

Hazel had been with them.

“Th-they took Hazel,” Rei gasped. “We don’t know why, but....”

When the Ancient One spoke again, she did so in a measured tone. “Go see the healers—all of you. The masters and I will handle this. Thank you for trying.”

She headed down another corridor, and Mordo trailed after her. He could tell that whatever nerves she’d suffered from that morning paled in comparison to the well-hidden panic she now felt. Why? Why Hazel? Why now? Why _only_ Hazel? Why--?

“What does this mean, Ancient One?” Mordo asked. He too worried for the girl.

“I don’t know,” was all the woman could manage.

“If Hazel would be of any use to Kaecilius…. How would he know of her if she wasn’t already cooperating with him?”

“I don’t know.”

The man fell silent. If the Ancient One had any real knowledge of this happening, she wouldn’t look so shaken right now. Still, he tried to be helpful.

“I’ll call the other students back,” Mordo turned to leave her. “I’ll tell them that Zealots were seen attacking students. I won’t say anything about Hazel.”

The Ancient One allowed herself a sigh of relief. “Yes, if you would. Thank you, Master Mordo.”

Once she was left alone, the tension suddenly seemed to drain out of her. She didn’t have time to worry now; she needed to find out what happened to Hazel Grace. After informing the other masters of the situation, she searched the healer’s ward for the injured students. Luckily, none of them were injured fatally; clearly, this stunt was an abduction mission only.

“Ancient One,” Tara greeted in a whisper as the woman entered the room. The elder’s gaze drifted over her students.

“I brought tea,” she offered, lifting up a tray with several sups of steaming liquid. The students took it gratefully, then the woman sat down on the edge of a free cot. “Please tell me what happened. Everything you can remember.”

After glancing at each other briefly, the students decided Rei would be the first to answer her.

“We were heading towards the river when they cornered us,” Rei explained. “They didn’t speak to us, didn’t give us any chance to run; they just attacked.”

“But they didn’t try to kill us,” Liam added. “They were only holding us off until they could get to Hazel.”

“They sealed her magic,” Lucas’s hands trembled as he remembered how scared and _sick_ Hazel looked the moment her shields disappeared out of her control. “Just a training seal, like they use on novices who use magic during combat or chores. I guess it startled Hazel, since no one’s ever sealed her before.”

The Ancient One took a deep breath. “I see. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

The students began to shake their heads and disregard her, but Strange stood up and snapped.

“You’re sorry?” he demanded. “For what we went through? What about Hazel? Your ‘special case’ is now in the hands of some dangerous sociopath and you’re sorry for us? I don’t want to hear it when you could be out there getting her back.”

“Sometimes we hear things we don’t want to, Mister Strange,” she replied as politely as she could and got to her feet. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to attend to.”

“Like what?” Stephen spat. “Meditating? Keeping yourself in check while others do the panicking? You’re always the calm foundation, aren’t you? But the minute something goes wrong, what do you really do?”

There were a million things she’d have liked to say to him. First of all, you ungrateful brat. I could destroy you. I just want Hazel back…. I’m confused, too. But, she looked about the room and saw the panicked faces of her students and bit her tongue. This was not the time or place to be vulnerable.

“I know you’re worried for Hazel,” the Ancient One said. “All of you. But if there is a way to save her, I will find it. And I will do everything in my power to keep this from happening again.”

She retreated before Stephen could start again and possibly irritate her into doing something rash. She had to be alone. She was still human. Just like anyone else. So in moments like these, she went somewhere she knew she would be alone and undisturbed.

 

**Kaecilius**

Hazel still struggled against the Zealots that restrained her as they led her down the aisle of a candle-lit cathedral. Her eyes wheeled around the room as she tried to place where she was. The windows were dark—it was night, wherever they were. The room was warm in temperature and in color, but she felt far from comforted. The tapers were red.

She lashed out again. The Zealot released her at the front of the room, throwing her on the ground in the middle of a wide, circular seal. She sat up, taking in the markings on the ground in a panic. She got to her feet and tried running off the mark, only to be met with an invisible, solid wall. She repeated the process, kicking and charging and slamming her body against the borders of her cage like a wild animal until, tired, bruised, and out of hope, she collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily.

This felt like a nightmare—one of _her_ nightmares. In some world, she must be asleep. She’ll wake up when the time was right. Although, judging on her past experience, that time could be after hours of torment and attempted or inflicted death. Even so, she refused to lose heart as a man in yellow robes stepped out from the crowd of zealots. Her tawny eyes took in every aspect of his figure as he circled around her. Grey hair, tied back. A sturdy form. Dark circles around his eyes and an unfamiliar red mark on his forehead....

“Hazel Grace,” the man greeted her by name. She glared at him, frown set on her face.

“What’re you gonna do about it?” she demanded. “Torture me? Interrogate me? Let me guess, the Main Guest sent you.”

“Don’t take me for a savage,” the man circled around the cage idly. Hazel crawled forward to sit in the center of the seal, as far from the border as she could get. “I only wish to speak with you.”

Hazel straightened and turned her head to watch him from the corner of her eye, calm realization dawning on her features. “You’re the Ancient One’s problem, aren’t you? Kaecilius. How do you know me?”

“What do you know of the Dark Dimension?”

“Never heard of it.”

“Oh?” he raised his eyebrows. “Then you obviously don’t know your Main Guest as well as you think you do. _He_ showed you to me. Showed me your talent. Given the proper guidance, I don’t doubt your value.”

“He did that through the Dark Dimension?” Hazel narrowed her eyes. “You’re not one of my Main Guest’s lackeys. You’re human, at least you used to be. That mark on your forehead--I’ve never seen you or anything like you.”

“No,” Kaecilius raised a hand to touch the burning mark on his face. “I suppose you haven’t. It’s true I follow a different path, but our overlords are in contact... often. Your Main Guest contacted me indirectly last night when you were caught by one of your, as you call them, ‘Guests.’ That’s how I found you, Hazel Grace. That’s how I know your power.”

“What do you want?”

He’d anticipated her brash nature, but remained patient. She was bold when she was afraid; she was impulsive and emotional. She would see reason.

“I want to save you.”

Hazel straightened. A haughty gesture. “Then why didn’t you _say_ so? If you know my power, you know you could’ve come to me peacefully in a dream—no abduction necessary.”

“I could’ve,” Kaecilius agreed. “But I had to ensure you were lucid through the entirety of our encounter. Furthermore, as long as you were under the watchful eyes of the Sorcerer Supreme, there was no other way to contact you without her interfering.”

“So?” Hazel shrugged, then shrank as he gave her a level stare.

“The woman you follow now deceives you,” he said. “Did she ever tell you that your Main Guest was linked with the Dark Dimension?”

Hazel reluctantly shook her head. “No...”

“And I assume she never told you how to control your Guests.”

“Well, I needed to learn more about magic before I tried to--”

“And do you have any idea how she’s stayed young for centuries while the rest in her order live only a lifetime?”

“Who cares?! She’s probably vegan!”

Kaecilius came to a stop in front of her.

“She’s afraid of you, Hazel Grace. Of the power you possess. She wishes to contain it, repress it so that you can never overpower her.”

“Why would she do that?” Hazel demanded.

“She needs control. She lies to everyone in her order, but _I_ found the truth. I have been liberated from her confines, and you can help me and yourself by joining me.”

He extended a hand to her. She glanced at it, then looked him square in the eye.

“No,” she shook her head. He raised his eyebrows.

“You’d rather follow a lying tyrant than control your Guests?” he asked. She stared at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes again. “Not only control them-- _command_ them, have them serve you at your beck and call. The masters at Kamar-Taj are close-minded, rigid and immoveable. What would they say if any of them knew what today’s ceremony really meant?”

“I don’t care about the masters,” Hazel shouted. “And the Ancient One wouldn’t lie to me. She’s too good for that. You, on the other hand...”

“I’ve been nothing but honest with you. And if you think the Ancient One is too good for such behavior, you’re unfortunately mistaken.” He paced in front of her again, getting a better look at her posture and expression. “They don’t bind their students at Kamar-Taj, yet you’re the most brainless sheep I’ve seen--after only a month at Kamar-Taj, I might add. What about her compels you so deeply?”

“You know nothing about me if you can’t answer that yourself,” Hazel muttered, her mind made up. He was lying, at least in part, about his relation to the Main Guest.

“I know your fear,” he replied smoothly. “I know you. Yet, if you can’t see reason... I’ll let you go. I’ll send you back where you belong.”

“I don’t belong at Kamar-Taj,” Hazel griped.

“Oh, I never thought you did,” Kaeclius shook his head. Hazel’s blood ran cold. “I’ll return you to the arms of your Guests.”

He stood before her and put his hands together. A glass-like, translucent shard of space conjured between his palms. He raised the weapon above his head and brought it down on the sigil on the ground, then thrust it into Hazel’s shoulder.

 

**Tangahshii**

The Ancient One stood alone on the private, isolated balcony inaccessible by any mundane pathway. Over the hours she was here, she formulated several plans for Hazel’s rescue, but without knowing where she was taken, she didn’t have a way to execute any of them. She meditated for a time, reaching out and searching for Hazel or Kaecilius, but that proved futile as well. She was almost out of options, and Hazel was almost out of time. The sun would set soon.

The Sorcerer Supreme heard a gateway open behind her.

“Master Mordo,” she greeted quietly.

“The other students have returned safely,” he reported. His tone grew quieter. “They never suspected anything. The Zealots were after Hazel alone. Master Tashi still hasn’t been able to locate Hazel by her mystic signature. She must be in a sealed area of some kind.... What are we to do, Ancient One?”

The woman gave a measured sigh. “I’ve seen this before. No, it was hardly an effect of foresight; I saw it as if in a dream.... I saw Hazel away from Kamar-Taj and away from known places as if she’d disappeared entirely. There are many possibilities left for her, but if she doesn’t show up again by sunset, it’s best if we just assume she’s dead.”

Mordo froze, letting the silence drag on until the Ancient One finally filled it.

“If only I had gone with them,” she whispered. Mordo had never seen the Sorcerer Supreme regret anything. “Hazel invited me to watch the ceremony. I could’ve, and it would’ve been of little consequence if the masters weren’t informed for another day.”

“Do you think she would join Kaecilius?” Mordo asked.

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” she began. “Hazel never made it to the river.”

Mordo was silent in confusion.

The Ancient One continued. “The Tangahshii festival is a binding ritual. If one bound by it does not perform a ceremony by giving a sacrifice to a body of water by sunset on the third Sunday of June, they will be punished.”

“How so?” he couldn’t bear to think of it, but he had to.

“She could be found dead, she could disappear…. She could join Kaecilius, only to be killed later. Kaecilius could kill her, or leave her at the hands of her Guests, where they would…. But the idea that terrifies me the most is that she could disappear entirely, and still be alive somewhere, suffering.”

“Could that really happen?” he asked in disbelief. “We teach against such rituals, and even if one participated, it’s a mere superstition, isn’t it? The river sacrifice ceremony is just made up, like paper fortune tellers o-or tarot cards….”

The Ancient One looked at him for the first time. Her eyebrows drew together, her eyes an unsettling stare. In that instant, Mordo knew that she’d lost another student and she couldn’t stand it. She sighed and looked away again. “No, I fear that, for Hazel, the ceremony is a very real thing.”

“I see,” Mordo nodded. The sun was setting. He wasn’t sure if he should leave her alone again, but he found it appropriate. “I’ll begin my patrol of the grounds.”

She nodded at him when she would usually speak to him. She’d usually nod and say, “That would be best,” or, “Thank you, Master Mordo,” but tonight, none came, and all was silent save for the keening of cicadas in the trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tangahshii - in dragontongue, "To search and steal for a God." A binding ceremony performed by a group of worshipers paying tribute to their main entity. On the third Sunday of June, one of the group of worshipers would hide from the rest. When the hiding member is found, he or she is taken as a sacrifice and their blood is poured into a body of running water. This is a game for the brave. Don't ever play Tangahshii alone.


	8. Drifting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's not dead. She's hiding.

**Return**

Three days after that, the students of Kamar-Taj began to fully realize the implications of Hazel’s absence. Had she left suddenly without telling anyone? Had she been expelled? However, Reiko and the other acolytes that had accompanied Hazel on the day of her taking knew better, and a grim dread consumed them. Had she joined Kaecilius? Or had anything worse happened to her? Needless to say, the Ancient One asked them to keep the entire event a secret and deny it if anyone asked them if they knew anything. Still, they were distraught. The masters didn’t tolerate slacking, but they were also understanding of the particular circumstances. For all they knew, Hazel had died, and that kind of thing didn’t happen every day at Kamar-Taj.

The Ancient One was troubled and withdrawn--more so than usual. She took her meals alone and evaded any questions the masters had for her. She didn’t know, and she didn’t care. Even if Hazel had joined Kaecilius, it was too late for the girl. She’d missed her chance to perform the ceremony, and as a result, her entire being was forfeit to the Main Guest.

Things were strange at the sanctuary, but the Sorcerer Supreme couldn’t neglect her duties. She was in the library, returning her books and heading to the globe room to check on the sanctums, when a sudden clamor outside drew her attention. Several pairs of feet--a group of people--scrambled down the hallways. People were shouting. The first thing that came to the Ancient One’s mind was that they were under some kind of attack, but not a moment after she considered the possibility, a frantic acolyte bolted down the aisle towards her and bowed in front of her. “Forgive me, Ancient One,” she gasped. How far had she run? “I-it’s that girl--Hazel Grace is outside.”

Surely enough, in the second courtyard, a crowd of people had gathered around something that had not been there before. A thing that shouted and shook and sashayed about the courtyard in a near-hysteric fit. In that moment, the Ancient One felt as if a barrier between her and the world had shattered. Her hands were numb; she didn’t feel anything through euphoric relief as her legs carried her to the scene. She was free.

Mordo tried calming the girl as she stalked around the yard, shouting nonsensically.

“Hazel, just stay calm. You didn’t—”

“Don’t!” she snarled when he tried reaching a comforting hand to her. “Don’t touch me. Don’t look at me. Someone just walked over my grave. They walked and they stood there and I could feel it, and it weighed me down, and….”

The two of them looked up as the Ancient One stepped into the courtyard. Hazel ran to her immediately.

“Hazel,” the elder tried calming her as Hazel began pacing in circles.

“You have _no idea_ what I’ve been through,” Hazel started excitedly, her legs fidgeting and bringing her in lines and circles close to the Ancient One. “I was in a church, and this crazy guy just comes outta nowhere and started talking about this Dark Dimension and about how the Main Guest used it to show him what I was and he—”

“Hazel,” the woman started again, glancing around the courtyard uneasily. Was she mad? She couldn’t just talk about that in front of everyone--

“And I didn’t join him, so he stabbed me, and the Guests took me back and I just showed up here, and I don’t know how I got away, but I did, and I—”

“Hazel!”

The Ancient One grabbed the girl’s arm and held her there, shaking her slightly. “Stop. Are you hurt?”

Hazel panted as she looked down at herself. “No!”

She smiled. She was grinning as if she couldn’t help it. Of course, after being taken into such a terrifying situation and then returned to safety all of a sudden, anyone would be shaken into brief fits of lunacy. The Ancient One couldn’t believe it. She didn’t know what had come over her. Her grip on Hazel’s arm loosened, but Hazel held the woman’s hand securely, reassuringly.

 _Thank goodness_ , she thought, accepting Hazel’s form, her thoughts, her scent, anything to affirm that she was here, and she was safe, and she was alive.

Hazel seemed to melt there, or hover, with only her hand in the Ancient One’s anchoring her down. She was here, she was safe, she was alive.

“You’re soaking wet,” the Ancient One noticed, brushing a lock of Hazel’s dripping hair away from her face. Hazel looked down at herself in confusion.

“Weird,” she murmured.

After another moment, the Ancient One pulled away. She forgot herself, forgot her audience, but she could sense how the students and masters alike were shaken at the scene playing out before them. She addressed the masters and disregarded the stares of the students.

They needed to reassess their situation.

 

**Explain Yourself**

Hazel was given time to gather her bearings before the meeting. She bathed, changed clothes, and ate a little something before going to the Ancient One’s rooms. She wasn’t allowed to speak to any of the students until the masters were sure Hazel wasn’t a threat. Once at the meeting place, Hazel was given a cup of tea and a place to sit quietly.

The Ancient One sat on one side of a low table, with Hazel kneeling in front of her. The other masters were scattered about the room, some sitting, some standing, and some pacing. Hazel could feel the hint of bridled tension in the room. She had to be on her best behavior.

“You caused quite the uproar in the courtyard,” Master Tashi started as he poured Hazel a cup of tea. “I hope you’re more coherent now.”

Hazel blushed and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Yeah. S-sorry about that. I always get a little disoriented when the Guests move me around.”

“It’s of little consequence,” the Ancient One replied. “The other students think you were babbling nonsensically in shock. They don’t suspect a thing.”

Hazel gave a sigh of relief. “Has it really been three days since I was taken?”

“I’m afraid so,” Mordo nodded grimly from where he stood. “And right now, we need to know what happened during that time. Tell us what you remember, Hazel. All you can.”

Hazel took a breath before she began. “After we were attacked, the Zealots took me somewhere--a church, I think. It was dark outside, but I don’t know where we were. They put me... on this weird mark on the ground. It was like there was an invisible cage around me; I couldn’t walk off of it. And I couldn’t use any magic or contact any of my Guests.”

“A trap seal,” Master Hamir decided with a quiet nod for her to continue.

“I assume Kaecilius wanted to see you?” Master Junzo questioned.

“Yes,” Hazel nodded. “He said that the Main Guest sent him to find me, but I don’t think that was entirely true. He just didn’t look familiar at all--he was just a human, and he had a mark on his forehead that I’ve never seen before. He said something about a Dark Dimension?”

The others all shifted uncomfortably at the mention. Hazel hurried to justify herself.

“Look, I know it sounds bad,” she pleaded. “But he said my Main Guest was frequently in contact with the Dark Dimension--that’s how he knew how to find me. If he was telling the truth, I want to know about it. I might be able to figure out part of what’s going on with me.”

Her imploring stare jumped from master to master as her company debated.

“This is really nothing she should concern herself with,” Master Tashi dismissed.

“I disagree,” Wong argued. “If Hazel’s Main Guest is using power from the Dark Dimension, she should know exactly what that is.”

“This just furthers our suspicions,” Master Tashi continued. “If Hazel’s Guests are using power from the Dark Dimension, they evade the natural law.”

“We’ve already settled this,” Mordo started firmly. “Hazel is not defined by her Main Guests or any Guest she associates with. She is here to learn to maintain herself within the natural law so that she may one day live above--”

“And when, pray tell, will she start _practicing_ within the natural law?” Maser Junzo demanded. “She flagrantly disregards our rules and bastardizes every form of magic we teach her. And after her little stunt last Friday, I wouldn’t doubt if she was a spy all along, here to manipulate the Sorcerer Supreme into practicing barbaric magic like--”

“You talk like someone with Pagan roots can’t become a worthy sorcerer,” the Ancient One finally interrupted them, making the room fall silent and still. Master Junzo stiffened at her accusation before he realized he’d spoken out of turn. The Ancient One herself was a Celtic mystic with an origin in the mystic arts that was possibly very different from her current path.

“I didn’t mean--” Master Junzo bowed his head patiently. “Of course. Forgive me, Ancient One. I only meant to say Miss Grace is a liability. She should have never been exposed to the Dark Dimension.”

“But that’s no reason to spare her from the information we give all our curious students,” the Ancient One returned passively. “In fact, she’d be more likely to stray from the path if we hid it from her. However, you’re not entirely wrong. Hazel’s Guests use power from the Dark Dimension, which makes our job all the more difficult, but we’d be careless to keep it from her.”

Master Junzo and the others settled down again. The Ancient One quickly explained to Hazel.

“The Dark Dimension is a world ruled by a dominating, hungry entity. He promises great power for those who are brave enough to contact him, but he only seeks to dominate more worlds to take for his own. If he did use you as a vessel, the world would surely be destroyed.”

Hazel felt a chill rake down her spine.

The Ancient One continued. “Whilst I doubt you made a deal with Dormammu, your Guests do share some qualities with the Dark Dimension. Time exists outside of the Dark Dimension; it would make sense that your Guests use the power of the Dark Dimension when they send you back in time. A lord entity over a dream dimension has many uses for such power. However, those who tap into this power are sacrificed in turn. You saw what it did to Kaecilius.”

Hazel’s face was more troubled than ever.

The woman brushed over it. “What else did Kaecilius tell you?”

“Lies, mostly,” Hazel shrugged. She didn’t want to mention the claim of deception that Kaecilius made, at least not in front of everyone. “He told me that if I joined him, he’d show me how to control my Guests--have them serve me, really--just like his overlord serves him.”

“You didn’t believe that?” Master Hamir asked.

“Even if I did, I refused him. I wanted to come back here.”

The Ancient One scrutinized Hazel thoroughly. Hazel never flinched, nor fidgeted. She was telling the truth.

“Master Junzo?” the Ancient One waved said master closer. He knelt before Hazel, staring at her with his typically stern gaze. “Hazel, I’m sure you know by now that Master Junzo has the ability to tell whether or not someone is lying.”

“Of course,” Hazel bobbed her head respectfully. _That’s why he hates me._

“Then tell me again,” the Ancient One continued patiently. “Kaecilius offered you a place of power, and you refused to join him.”

“Yes,” Hazel nodded. The Sorcerer Supreme could have left it at that, but she had another question--one to sate her personal curiosity.

“Why? Why would you choose to return here? You’re impulsive, arrogant, and emotional. You disregard your masters--”

“They’re not my masters,” Hazel muttered.

“All the more reason,” the Ancient One insisted. “Why should I believe you didn’t choose--or even consider choosing--siding with someone who offered you freedom from all that disturbs you?”

“Because I don’t love him,” Hazel spoke forcefully, each word measured and finite. “I love you.”

Master Junzo slapped Hazel before the others could process what Hazel had said. The girl doubled over and away from him, holding her cheek in shock.

“I’m telling the truth, you _nev slen mey--_!”

“What does it matter if you are?!” he demanded of her. “You’re insolent before the Ancient One and the Masters of the Mystic Arts. You have no place to assert yourself--no place to speak so offensively in front of the Sorcerer Supreme.”

Hazel stared at the ground, fighting tears and trembling with rage.

“Master Junzo, please control yourself,” Mordo was the first to recover. “I think we’ve established Hazel’s loyalty, which was the only purpose of this meeting. Let Hazel finish her account before we decide what’s to be done with her.”

Once the master retreated to his former place on the other side of the room, Hazel sighed and relayed the last of her story.

“When I refused, Kaecilius dispelled the trap seal and said he’d return me to my Main Guest, ‘where I belong.’ The next thing I know, I wake up here.”

“There must be more to it than that,” Master Tashi interjected. “Where were you for the three days? Try to remember; you couldn’t have just shown up here on your own.”

“I... I don’t know,” Hazel closed her eyes and lowered her face into her hand. Her cheek tingled and burned. “It was dark. I couldn’t see anything. That’s why I don’t remember. I think it felt like water. And it sounded muffled, like I was underwater. I don’t know how long I was there before... I washed up on a rocky shore. It was dark there, too--there were thunderclouds overhead. Then I conjured the portal here. That’s all I remember.”

The masters all turned to the Ancient One, who had a thoughtful expression on her face. She seemed to recover from Hazel’s earlier statement.

“It sounds like one of your Guests was protecting you,” she offered. She didn’t look directly at Hazel. “Hiding you from the Main Guest until things quieted down.”

“That’s why I came back?” Hazel demanded. Something in her brain seemed to click, as if that dream-like time she spent in the arms of the other Guest was suddenly vivid and crystal clear. “When I felt the water, I thought he’d taken me as a sacrifice. Now I know. But what do I do now? He’s still looking for me since I didn’t sacrifice something to the river.”

The Ancient One’s eyes darted frantically around the room as the masters all reacted to Hazel’s impulsive confession. No one in this room knew how Hazel was bound to her Main Guest, save for the Ancient One and Mordo. The other masters, understandably, did not react well.

“Sacrifice?” Master Hamir asked. “What does that have to do with Hazel’s Main Guest?”

“Ancient One,” Master Tashi calmly but forcefully interjected. “What does she mean by sacrifice to the river? Drifting festivals are primitive superstition by now, aren’t they?”

 _Like tarot cards?_ the Ancient One was tempted to counter, but held her tongue. “One could consider it a superstition, similar to being taken into another world by demons as you sleep.” Her eyes met those of each master in the room as she let the gravity of her statement sink in. “To those who experience such things, they are very real, and I’m afraid to Hazel, the binding ritual practiced in sacrifice-drifting is no exception.”

The others were agitated again, startled, speechless, shocked. They knew Hazel was bound to her Guest, but they never knew the extent of it was so vast and _fatal_. And they never considered the Ancient One knew and took Hazel in as a student anyway.

“Hazel...” Wong finally spoke, his voice worn and far away. He should have known, should have seen it. After all the research he’d done with Hazel, why didn’t it ever occur to him that Hazel was trapped in a covenant with her Main Guest? “What did you do?”

Hazel picked at the scrapes on her hands. “I screwed up.”

She expected to be scolded. She expected someone to yell at her and tell her to pack her bags and leave. In fact, when someone moved towards her, she flinched as if she expected to be removed by force before she got a chance to move. However, Wong just knelt in front of her and refilled her teacup. She watched him, half-uncertainly, half-dejectedly.

“Tell us everything,” he said.

Hazel stared dejectedly at the tea in her hand. She didn’t drink anymore. She clutched the warm cup and breathed in the familiar scent. She’d miss this.

“I summoned the Main Guest,” she confessed. “I remember always seeing things, but I never saw anything with true power until I knew him. I performed a series of odd rituals--setting the table with dry leaves and rice... staring out the window on the night of a new moon and pretending I saw something that wasn’t there before. Through this, I gave him life in this world. A gateway. And he punished me for it. But the Main Guest wouldn’t kill me,” Hazel set her cup down. “Why would he sever his only tie to this world when I could live, and I could give him power? So, I found a way to protect myself.”

Master Junzo gave a dreadful sigh.

“The _Tangahshii_ ritual was pioneered by a dragon cult, hence the name,” Hazel started. “It literally means, ‘to search and—‘”

“Hazel,” the Ancient One snapped. She shook her head.

Hazel put her head down in defeat. “Right. Sorry. Water is a gateway. Sending a tribute to an entity via moving water can hold them off, for a time. Each year on the day of the ceremony, there must be a sacrifice of flesh or blood or bone sent down a body of moving water before sundown. Then it turns into a game of hide and seek, only… there’s no way to win. Even if no one finds you, time only moves forward, and that’s it. But as long as you sacrifice every year, you’re protected. I adhered to this religiously afterwards. But now, since I missed that one fucking day....”

Master Hamir stared at her incredulously. “You are bound to your Main Guest--no, a _dream demon_ \--in _blood_ , and you have the gall to--”

“I didn’t know it was a powerful binding ritual!” Hazel snapped. “How was I supposed to know that? I was just doing what I read in some fucking book--”

“And did you read the after-effects of such rituals?” Wong interrupted her. “You should have known better.”

“There were no after-affects,” Hazel snapped. “Just some nonsense about invisible Guests. It sounded _harmless_.”

“Where is this book?”

“I lost it,” Hazel shrugged. “No. It was taken from me the first year of _Tangahshii_. That’s why I thought I was safe, until they found me again. But you all seem familiar with drifting ceremonies. You know you don’t have to worry about me for long. The next time they find me, they’ll take me away for good, and I’ll be their blood sacrifice for the rest of time. No one else will be affected; it’ll be our self-contained little secret.”

None of the others spoke. The room fell fatally quiet. They were more likely to hear the sun set outside or the smoke drift from the ash catcher to the window than hear a breath or word from anyone in the room. And the sun did set. And the ash did fall. And the Ancient One made up her mind.

“In all my years, I’ve never observed a _Tangahshii_ where a sacrifice wasn’t taken that day.” She looked at Hazel with an expression the girl couldn’t read. Was that awe? Fear? Disappointment? Bewilderment? “Yet here you sit. I fear you’ll never cease to surprise me, Hazel Grace. It has been three days, but you’re still here. You have a chance to live. Don’t waste it.”

 

After the meeting was dismissed, the Ancient One was later approached by Master Junzo.

“You think I’m a fool,” she stated brazenly. There were no other words to summarize the thoughts in his head. The master balked.

“Of course not, Ancient One,” he bowed apologetically. “I only wanted to apologize for my inappropriate behavior during our council.”

She looked at him. “I understand. I think we were all on edge during the meeting, and it probably doesn’t help that a debatably dangerous student is so close to your daughter.”  
Master Junzo gave a tired sigh of relief. “Thank you for understanding. Reiko’s been disturbed for days. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to upset her again.”

“I understand. However...?”

He closed his eyes and sighed before straightening. “I must ask why you ever accepted her as an apprentice when you knew the full extent of her situation.”

“We all make mistakes, Master Junzo,” the Ancient One replied smoothly. “And as long as mistakes can be corrected or learned from, I wouldn’t turn just anyone away. Hazel Grace is no different.”

“I _must_ ask you to reconsider. We’re training and protecting a Pagan sacrifice. And for what? So she may be slaughtered in peace?”

“It wouldn’t hurt, if it came to that,” the Ancient One felt sick to her stomach.

Master Junzo sensed her wariness. “She’s changed you. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I’ve never seen you participate in a Pagan bonfire. Nor have I seen you greet a student like you greet Hazel Grace--in a tongue unique to the two of you, speaking to each other with complete devotion. She spoke the truth tonight, but that frightens me. And I think... forgive me, Master, but you should be afraid. She has no business with you.”

The Ancient One didn’t respond, and she never looked him quite in the eye again. However, as the younger master bowed and took his leave, she was indeed consumed with fear. She wished she could reprimand herself, like so many people do. Like Hazel scolds herself. _Idiot Hazel Grace._ Yet all the Ancient One could do was reprimand the empty air, and this scolding had no weight and no anchor, so it drifted away without leaving the desired effect. _Don’t be such a fool. Don’t be such a fool._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nev slen mey - You idiot waste of flesh. Way to respect your elders, Hazel.


	9. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hazel's hindered by her renewed trust issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gore warning for the nightmare scene.

**Taking it Seriously**

Hazel sat in the courtyard under the moonlight, and the great dragon curled up on the veranda behind her.

"I forgot you can't translate dragon tongue for everybody," Hazel murmured wistfully.

" _Iin taroh,_ " the Ancient One hissed in reprimand. ( _It's dangerous._ ) She still wasn't over Hazel nearly blurting out a direct translation to the masters during their meeting that evening.

Hazel glanced over her shoulder. "Then why can I speak like a dragon? I'm just as human as everyone else in this sanctuary."

" _Vahzah_ ," the Ancient One looked up at the full moon. "It's true. But you come from a very different school of thought than my disciples."

" _Daar los_?" _Is that it?_

Hazel stared at the still, willowy figure-so elegant as she lied on her throne of stone and dirt. Her scales were an indiscernible pale color, but her eyes... Unconsciously, Hazel began to reach out a hand. What would those scales feel like? But she drew her hand away abruptly when the Ancient One snarled at her.

" _Min hiin golt_!" she snapped. _Know your place._

" _Daan golt_?!" Hazel shot back. What place? "You don't treat me like a mere student, or as a master, or any typical follower. That's what you just said!"

The dragon rose, her body contorting under the veranda smoothly like a ribbon. She darted out of hiding and past Hazel quick enough to stir up the fallen leaves in the courtyard and make the bells rattle frantically. When Hazel opened her eyes again, the dragon was gone without a trace, and all in the courtyard was still and silent again. She glared at the ground and scolded herself. This wouldn't do.

After her abduction, Hazel took combat classes seriously. However, that worked against her more than it served her. She trusted no one and reacted more out of panic than skill. No one wanted to spar with her, and even Mordo-usually so patient in his ways-found himself growing irritated at the girl. He offered to train her privately in the evenings, but she wouldn't hear of it.

"With you?" she demanded. "Forget it."

"I would never harm you, Hazel. All suspicions against you were put to rest when you were taken. That, and..." he glanced at a few of the students whose gazes had wandered to the master and witch. "I think a few of the students have grown fond of you."

Another sigh from the American girl.

"Now, try again."

**Trust**

2:34 a.m.

Hazel feared leaving her bed tonight. It had been staring at her for hours now. The Thing huddled in the corner under a mud-stained, white bedsheet. Two holes had been cut or torn in the bedsheet, allowing make-shift eyeholes for the thing beneath it to stare at Hazel. It was deathly still, and had Hazel been anyone else, she would've dismissed the creature to be a mere pile of laundry. However, she knew better. There hadn't been a sheet there when she went to bed.

2:28 a.m.

This wasn't fair! Hazel would be stuck in this moment forever—no, the moment would rewind again and again, leaving her in eternal nighttime—unless she moved.

She took a breath. Then another. The air suffocated her, freezing and frigid. Tentatively, as if she expected to be grabbed by the ankles and dragged under her bed, Hazel touched her toes to the hardwood floor and began inching towards the doorway. The head of the thing in the bathtub tilted just slightly as it followed her every move. If she could just get to the door before she bolts, she might be able to move faster than it.

Her hand met the cold metal of the doorknob. The knob made a blood-curdling creak as she turned it as slowly as she dared. The door gave, allowing a quick gust of cold air into the room. Hazel put one foot over the threshold and bolted. The sound of her feet rumbling down the wood-floored corridor drowned out the sound of rustling sheets close behind her. She turned the corner and bolted down the balcony overlooking the courtyard. She saw a light on in a bedroom across the way—that had to be Stephen Strange's room. If she could just make it there before the bedsheet ghost caught her—

Her ankle twisted. Firm hands pressed against her side and back, sending her flying over the balcony railing and down two stories to the stone yard below.

Stephen turned another page of his book, floating at the foot of his bed while his physical body slept. He would have remained like that for hours, as if in a reverie, had he not heard a quiet voice behind him.

"I didn't think you'd still be awake," the Ancient One drifted closer to the bed to glance over his shoulder. "A bit of light reading before bed, doctor?"

"Naturally," he replied. She'd heckled him a couple of times about his late-night habits already, and since her point had yet to sink in, she'd tell him again.

"You have to let your mind rest, as well as your body," she gently took the book from him and left it on the desk. When she turned to look at him again, she looked puzzled.

"Mister Strange, have you… seen Hazel tonight?"

"Hazel?" he raised his eyebrows. "No. Is she on walk-about again?"

"Perhaps. I didn't see her in bed, so I'm a little worried."

"Has there been a breach in the wards?" Stephen stood up.

"No," the woman replied. "But no one detected a Breach the night Hazel was sent back in time either. I wish I could—"

A piercing scream suddenly interrupted their conversation. The two of them didn't waste time searching for the source; they cut through the far wall of the room to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. There, in the middle of the cobblestone yard, a faint, blurry outline of something danced along the ground. Stephen strained his eyes to make sense of what he was seeing until the figure disappeared entirely. The Ancient One took his wrist momentarily. In that instant, the world suddenly grew dark and cold and the scene before them was plainly visible.

In the middle of the courtyard, a luminous outline of a cross stood erect. At the base of the cross, a gaggle of four or five monstrous-looking creatures huddled over a human victim—a pale girl in grey robes. A student. No, not only that—

"Is that Hazel?" Stephen demanded.

Below them, the monsters restrained Hazel as she screamed and thrashed wildly. She looked less like herself and more like an abused animal in a cage. Stephen's memory of Hazel spitting and swearing at the Zealots seemed like a dream compared to this spectacle; now, Hazel was truly helpless and desperate, broken to the brink of tears. But what were the monsters doing to her?

Four monsters held down her limbs, then another knelt by her right hand. The monster had a hammer and a handful of nails in his hand. It held one nail point-down over her palm before taking the hammer and driving the metal into her soft flesh. The girl squirmed and squealed in pain and fear. The spectators could see that there were several nails driven into her left hand already.

Stephen and the Ancient One didn't hesitate to pursue the monsters and save the girl. They landed in the courtyard and began tearing the beasts away from her, one by one, cutting them down, shoving them away from Hazel, impaling them with conjured weapons. Once the five monsters perished, they turned to ash and the cross disappeared. The world suddenly felt a lot warmer again, and the moon illuminated the courtyard.

"Stay with her," the Ancient One ordered. "I have to check the area."

Stephen was left alone to tend to the injured girl. Hazel trembled uncontrollably as he evaluated the damage, but aside from her sporadic spasms, the witch was ragdoll limp. The doctor inwardly cringed at the damage done to her small hands. Bent metal nails stuck straight through her palms. They needed to get to a hospital if she had any chance of recovering.

"Stephen?" Hazel whimpered, her voice startlingly coherent compared to how she usually talked when astral projecting. She was grounded. He didn't know whether to feel proud or sorry for her.

"Right here, kiddo," he replied gently, but awkwardly. He'd never been the one comforting the injured or the families of the injured, but he didn't want to leave this poor girl after what she'd just been through. He knew how it felt, in a way. His hands ached.

She surprised him by leaning against him. "Thank you."

He patted her shoulder. She'd stopped crying by now. In fact, all her tension seemed to melt away in the following moments. She stopped shaking. Her breathing came steadily and easily. Stephen lifted his gaze when the Ancient One stepped closer to them. The Sorcerer Supreme knelt beside her two amazing students.

"Are you alright, _malkiir_?"

Stephen raised his eyebrows as the unfamiliar language. Hazel gave a meek reply.

" _Giin Saviik_."

The Ancient One nodded with a humble smile. Stephen had to interject.

"We need to get her to a hospital," he started, impulsively returning to what he knew. "If her hands go untreated, it could—"

"I'm fine," Hazel interrupted.

Now, Stephen Strange had never hit a kid, but he would give her an earful if she dared try to ignore a crippling injury like…. Like what? When she raised her hands for him to see again, the nails had disappeared, and a little dried blood was all that remained. He took her soft, healed hands in his scarred, shaking ones.

"You're…"

"I'm fine," she repeated, her tone aloof and nearly disbelieving.

"How?"

"The damaged Hazel sustained was oneiric," the Ancient One explained. "I've said before how these astral projection nights can play out like a dream for her. In this case, the Guests could not truly harm her, but they could hurt her. We're lucky to have heard her when we did."

Stephen didn't question her now. He couldn't bear to think of what else would have happened to Hazel before sunrise had she been left on her own. The Ancient One didn't give him time to ask any more questions.

"I think it's time for bed," she stated, helping Hazel to her feet. The girl leaned into the woman, more for comfort than out of a need for support. The elder spent a moment holding Hazel and stroking her hair. Like when Hazel returned from being held by Kaecilius, the two seemed too dazed and too content to consider what they were doing.

After putting Hazel to bed, the Ancient One returned to Stephen's quarters, just to make sure he'd be able to sleep after that.

"How is she?" Stephen asked before the other could get a word out.

"She's sleeping now. It pains me to say so, but she's simply used to this kind of thing. And now that she's safe again without any physical reminder of what happened, she'll disregard it as if it were all some strange dream she'd had."

Stephen grimaced and put his face in his hands. It nauseated him to think that Hazel was 'simply used' to anything like what he'd witnessed that night.

"Why?" he heard his voice as if it came from somewhere else, as if someone else was borrowing his voice.

The woman was quiet for a moment. She debated with herself whether she should tell him the truth. She'd tried keeping Hazel's situation a secret from the other students, and it's not like Stephen needed help empathizing with her after tonight….

"Is this why she's here?"

"... Yes," the Ancient One finally admitted. "You remember that ceremony she was supposed to perform last Sunday?"

"The one she didn't get to do…"

She nodded. "Hazel is bound to a demon from a dream dimension. By performing the ceremony at the river, she avoided any permanent consequences. However, now that she's missed drifting just once, her body is forfeit to that demon. Her Main Guest is looking for her, and if she's caught, we will never see her again. I hope you understand."

He did, and it made his stomach churn. "What can we do?"

The Ancient One shook her head. "I don't know yet. I'm looking for answers, but I think for now, all we can do is keep her safe."

**Help**

Stephen half-expected to miss Hazel at breakfast the next morning. After experiencing something so traumatic, she probably wouldn't be overstepping her bounds if she skipped a day to recuperate. However, the doctor got a pleasant and unexpected surprise when he saw the girl at breakfast sitting in her usual spot-outside, sitting on the ledge of the veranda on the edge of the courtyard. He took his tray of food and went outside to join her.

"It's nice out, isn't it?" he asked not only to start a conversation with her but to also justify him coming out here to join her in the first place.

"Huh?" Hazel gave him the usual dopey, aloof look. "Oh. Yeah."

Now he knew why she acted so distant all the time. Stephen ate quietly and glanced at her every so often. She wasn't acting strangely, but if that kind of thing had happened before, she may even be used to putting on a brave face the very next morning. But he couldn't just blurt out, "Hey were you tortured by monsters last night?" because that would be rude.

He glanced at her small hands again. As the Ancient One had predicted, no hint of damaged remained. No scars, no trembling...

"Are you feeling better?" he finally asked. Hazel blinked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, last night, you were just..." Just what? Luckily, he didn't have to say any more before Hazel's expression changed to one of realization.

"You came to save me, didn't you?!" she demanded. "I remember getting caught, then you and the Ancient One... No, I'm sorry; it must've just been a dream or... someone that looked like you."

"No, it was me," Stephen corrected.

"What?" she breathed in confusion and disbelief. She knew he hated kids and was irritated by her in particular. "But you... I thought you didn't like kids."

"That's not true," Stephen defended himself. "And even if I didn't, why would that stop me from helping you—or anyone—in that situation?"

"Oh... Thanks."

Another moment of silence passed. Stephen lowered his voice.

"Does that happen often?"

"Sometimes," she sighed. "But it's all oneiric, so I usually don't retain damage."

"Usually?"

She nods. "That's why I came here. To learn how to control my power and defend myself against those things. I don't mean to sound like a brat. I know what happened to you, and I'm sorry. But imagine being hurt like that over and over again, and then your body resets, so then they can do it to you again as many times as they please. I think... it might be worse."

Stephen stared at her for a moment before turning to look at a flock of sparrows in the center of the yard. His hands trembled enough that he let them rest in his lap for a moment.

"Maybe," he allowed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hazel turn to look at him. "Listen, if you need help when you're astral projecting, I'm usually up all night. You know where my room is?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "You're the only one who stays up that late."

He nodded. "Well, right. But I'd better not hear you get caught again, deal?"

He said it like it was a threat, but Hazel smiled broadly at him. She nodded.

"Deal."

**Seal Me!**

That afternoon, Hazel marched into the courtyard for combat training as if she owned the place. Mordo patiently waited for her to reach him; she'd probably demand to be placed in the advanced class where magic was allowed. So many students tried mastering the mystical component of combat before mastering the basics. He'd just tell her what he told all the students: no.

"Seal me," she demanded, back straight and staring up at the man. He blinked, taken aback.

"I beg your pardon?" Had he heard her right?

"Seal my magic, so I'll do it right," Hazel repeated.

"Hazel... are you sure? You don't have to-"

"I've been under a training seal before, when I was abducted by Kaecilius' Zealots," she reminded him, raising her eyebrows and shifting her weight to one foot. "I'll be fine for training, then you can lift it. And if I start feeling sick, I'll tell you right away. I trust you."

 _Why?_ Mordo turned to look at Strange, who'd been watching the exchange and nodding his head every so often. This was the doctor's doing for sure.

The master gave a level exhale. "Alright. Remember to mind your form and don't be reckless."

"Pointlessly reckless is my middle name," Hazel said, as if she meant it to be reassuring.

The Ancient One tended to avoid surveying sparring matches now that Hazel attended the class. The girl was still in the getting-thrown-around phase, and the Ancient One worried she'd never get out of it. Aside from not trusting anyone in the class, Hazel found solace in pain, and that affirmed her pacifism to a worrying degree. However, today, when the Ancient One braved a glance out the window that overlooked the courtyard, she saw Hazel's magic was sealed and the girl seemed more attentive than usual.

Mordo surveyed the match as Reiko and Hazel sparred. Rei threw punches and kicks in Hazel's direction, but the girl didn't even block them. Instead, she dodged his attacks. She moved like water trickling down a rocky ledge or a snake slithering through tightly winding tunnels. While this was all well and good, she wouldn't learn how to fight by dodging alone. She kept this up. Then, after a particularly and experimentally forceful blow, Rei left herself open for a split second. Hazel took that as her chance.

She struck quickly, landing a sloppy but forceful kick in Rei's side before retreating back into a defensive stance. Mordo, taken by surprise by her sudden and effective trick, watched Hazel with eyebrows raised. The girl bared her teeth in an arrogant grin.

Then the real training began.

The Ancient One felt a small smile tug at her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some conflicting perceptions ironed out in this chapter. I also liked exploring the parallel between Stephen's situation (permanent damage with scarring and long-term effects) and Hazel's (where there are no permanent effects, but she still suffers temporary trauma).   
> I also wanted to establish the nature of Hazel's trauma. Obviously, if someone were really tortured on a regular basis, they'd show more signs of post-traumatic stress, anxiety, etc. However, if you only dream that you were tortured, it's a lot easier to say, "oh, it's just a dream," and move on. I remember having vivid nightmares (with sleep paralysis) during my last year of highschool, and most of these dreams involved monsters driving nails through my hands, breaking my fingers, gouging my intestines out, and whatnot. I was afraid to go to sleep, but during the day, it had little effect on me because it was just a dream in the end.


	10. Fiir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hazel reduces her contact with otherworldly entities to focus on her lessons, but in doing so, gets a painful reminder of why working with humans was never her forte.

**Post-Abduction**

Hazel worked very hard, and very quickly. If she wasn't in class or training, she was cleaning or working or helping someone do something. She played sparingly and meditated only in broad daylight. In truth, she was doing better than expected. She could still sleep and meditate without consequence. What was her Main Guest waiting for? Did it truly have no idea where she was?

Rumors of Hazel's disappearance transmogrified several times before dying down. Hazel never told a soul about what happened during her last meeting with the masters, and thankfully, the masters only betrayed the bare minimum. Hazel was no longer suspected. Of course, the masters now viewed her differently than the students did, but most were actually more open with her now. They let her learn and didn't keep her on a tight leash; if she wanted to do something her own way, they let her. If she had a question, they always answered. But others, of course, were more withdrawn than ever. Hazel blamed herself, and she didn't see the Ancient One again for days.

Luckily, though, Reiko remained unaffected by recent events. She never asked questions and continued speaking to Hazel as if nothing was amiss. Hazel appreciated someone treating her normally.

"I think your dad hates me," Hazel told Reiko as the two girls tended to their laundry in the basement laundry room.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Rei sighed. "But he's just strict. Can you pass me the laundry detergent?"

Hazel tossed the bottle in Reiko's direction.

"Thanks," Rei dumped a capful of the liquid in the washing machine over a pile of robes. "Anyway, my family's been living at Kamar-Taj for generations. My father was raised in the Order, and he doesn't have patience for people who act outside of the rules. You're not breaking any rules, but you don't really color inside the lines, if you know what I'm saying."

"Oh," Hazel looked up and held up a couple white articles. "Hey, do you have a light load I can put these in?"

"Sure, toss them here." Reiko put the clothes in a basket with her lighter robes. "But the Ancient One seems to like what you're doing, so you don't need to worry about it."

"Yeah..." Hazel heaved a sigh and averted her gaze. A shadow in the corner made her jump. She shook her head and repressed a shudder. "Let's hurry up. I hate being down here."

"Alright," Reiko nodded.

Aside from Reiko, Mordo and Stephen were among the people who remained un-alienated after Hazel's disappearance. In truth, they were glad to see her back at all.

"So you haven't been having trouble with your Guests?" Stephen asked after training that day. As Hazel cleaned the staffs and equipment, he lingered, helping out by replacing the equipment on the racks. The spotted cat sprawled lazily on Hazel's other side. "More than usual, I mean."

"No. It's weird that they haven't taken me away or something, but I think maybe the wards have something to do with it," Hazel shrugged. "Or maybe I really fooled them being gone like I was."

"Three days..." Stephen shook his head.

"I know," Hazel gave him a curt nod. She wanted to pretend it wasn't a real thing anymore. She wanted to forget about magic and return home to be a mundane again. "Now it's only a matter of time..."

"Is there anything you can do?" Stephen asked. "To stop it, I mean. Like another ritual you could do to throw him off again, or...?"

"I could kill someone," Hazel deadpanned. "I'm serious. The _Tangahshii_ boon is paid in blood, always."

"Well, if it's blood you need, surely we could arrange something," Stephen glanced at Mordo, then back to Hazel. "One of the healers can draw blood, right? Can't we do that?"

"That would've worked, if we'd done it on time," Hazel shrugged. "A late sacrifice requires a death. I guess you could say it's the deities' way of reasserting their dominion over a group."

"Then..." Stephen shook his head. The idea made him nauseous, but... He looked at Mordo. "Surely the Ancient One would be willing to sacrifice a goat or something just so we can get this taken care of."

"It needs to be human blood," Mordo frowned.

"Not human blood," Hazel corrected. "I'd need to sacrifice a being of power, like another sorcerer." She gave the cat an affectionate scratch beneath the chin as she said this. "I wouldn't, of course. Even if I got a hold of one of those Zealots, I wouldn't kill for the _Tangahshii_. To do so... I think I'd become a demon myself."

"Seriously?" Stephen asked. After all he'd seen, it was a possibility. "So what are you going to do?"

Hazel just stared at the ground. She was done talking about it. Mordo explained for her.

"The Ancient One thinks Hazel can simply wait it out. She's lasted this long without anything going wrong; we think the Main Guest may be too weak to take Hazel away. And as long as Hazel's within the wards..."

"The Main Guest can't get to her," Stephen finished. Mordo nodded. The two men looked at the girl, who'd picked up a dry leaf and was teasing the cat with it. Mordo couldn't help but grin in amusement.

"He doesn't usually play with people," he was confused more than anything, really. Hazel had a way with nature, but the cat seemed, for lack of better words, out of her league, regardless of her skill and amiability.

"Really?" Hazel glanced at him, in a much better mood now that they were talking about something more pleasant. "He's always come to me just fine. Do you know who he belongs to or his name or anything?"

Mordo shook his head, keeping a respectful distance from the cat. "We see him very rarely, but he's been a permanent resident at Kamar-Taj for years."

"Oh," Hazel tilted her head to get a better look at the cat. "Well, he's friendly to me."

Stephen smirked. "A witch and her familiar?"

"No!" Hazel snapped. "He's the worst! He just eats everything and knocks stuff off my altar."

The cat gave her a level, aloof stare, as if to say, _Whatever_. Stephen grinned again.

The human Ancient One fought the urge to be reclusive. When she wasn't busy, she still wandered Kamar-Taj and spoke with the masters and students as if nothing was amiss. Of course, nothing was; it was just a coincidence that she wasn't in the same place as Hazel for days. That's what she told herself, at least. She didn't want to say she was avoiding the girl, but she didn't know what to do with herself. She had no idea what she would say to Hazel, and she feared saying anything that would upset the masters. The Ancient One wasn't intimidated by any of her followers, but if she acted rashly and they began to question her...

She didn't want to lose anyone. With the current state of the world, her followers needed each other, and they needed her. Hazel was just a very finicky link-not the weakest, of course, but at times she was the link that would make or break the chain. A catalyst, as Master Junzo had called her, in more ways than one. However, instead of enabling a breach, Hazel has managed to skew morale so drastically that the Ancient One honestly deliberated her next actions. Some masters adored Hazel's outgoing loyalty, claiming that she truly proved herself, whilst others regarded her and the Ancient One more warily than ever.

What would happen if the Ancient One simply ignored Hazel? Things would return to normal soon enough; the masters would continue regarding the Ancient One as if nothing at all had happened. However, the Sorcerer Supreme was overwhelmed with a desire to do anything but that. She wanted to talk to Hazel again, continue having conversations in dragon tongue, and other frivolous things that had no consequence. Why was the Ancient One so tempted _now_ , after all her centuries of life, to have a friend? Was it the fact that she had so few days left? Or did Hazel herself bring this about?

The Ancient One lingered on the balcony overlooking the courtyard, where she could hear Hazel singing love songs to the tree. Or was she merely singing them beside the tree, serenading someone else entirely?

" _I've fallen in love with you in every past life."_

That word. Love. There was no equivalent to it in dragon tongue, at least not one that survived the test of time. The Ancient One reflected on her former self from centuries ago, when she was sullen and withdrawn and bitter about her immortality. It was different then; her greatest struggled had been letting herself care about people only to watch them age and die and leave her alone again. On the contrary, this time the Ancient One was the cruel party. She would die soon, and in that she would destroy Hazel.

**Space Shard**

In the weeks that followed, Hazel advanced quickly in combat class. Once she'd started practicing in earnest, she did everything she was told and worked hard to catch up with her peers. Not long passed before she started fighting at the same level as everyone else in the class, holding her own on endurance and agility over brute strength. Still, Hazel knew she was sloppy because she was lazy, so she wasn't that surprised when Mordo approached her at the beginning of class.

"Hazel, I was wondering if you noticed something different the other day."

"Yeah, you forgot to seal my magic," she replied, not looking up from tying her shoes. Mordo smirked.

"I assure you, I did not forget."

Her hand stilled. She looked at him slowly with an odd expression—one made by a dog that was just caught with its snout in the trash. Guilt. Shame. _Regret_.

"You did well," he reassured her; there was no need to be wary. "But I think you're ready to try something different today."

"Oh," Hazel didn't seem relieved yet. "Why?"

"Now that you've shown you no longer rely on magic, you're ready to implement spellcasting in combat."

"Oh," Hazel nodded. "But why? I thought the point of me taking this class was learning how to defend myself when my magic is sealed."

"That," he allowed with a nod. "And eventually, how to integrate magic practically in battle. It may not be of any use against your demons yet, but spellcasting under pressure is a valuable skill. Maybe in time, you'll be able to cast outside a seal."

Then he called Reiko over before Hazel had a chance to ask what he meant by that.

Once Stephen and Hazel got over their mutually bad first impressions of each other, the two had become reliable acquaintances and, after that, friends. Stephen and Hazel astral projected together a few nights a week, constantly developing Hazel's skills transitioning in and out of her physical form. Once they got the basics down, Hazel constantly experimented and showed Stephen anything new she discovered.

"Watch this," she murmured. Stephen lowered his book and turned to look at her. With a series of gestures, Hazel conjured a palm full of floating, glowing flame. She slowly held her free hand palm-down over the flame. The flame engulfed her hand.

"What are you-?!" Stephen all but threw the book aside and stepped closer to her.

"It's okay," Hazel held her hand out. "It doesn't hurt. Just wait a minute..."

Hazel looked back at her flaming hand and twisted her wrist slowly. The flames dissipated, revealing her hand had transformed into a curled bird-like talon. Stephen raised his eyebrows.

"The firebird," Stephen recalled the powerful entity that had taught her how to conjure flame. "How did you change form like that?"

Hazel stared intently at her talons until they returned to being pink flesh. Hazel raised her head. She was pale and translucent, taking after one of her Guests that had visited her at the beginning of the summer.

"Like this?" she asked. "I just can. Bodies are volatile at night, at least mine is."

She stood and began ghosting about. Stephen watched her curiously.

"It must be part of your oneiric power," he noted. "Can you turn into a tiger?"

"No," Hazel shook her head. "I can only turn into this because a Guest showed me how. I'm not instinctively learned in the mystic arts. Where do you think I learn anything I did before coming here?"

"So a Guest taught you how to transmutate yourself like this?" he clarified. She nodded. "Do you think you could do it in your body?"

Hazel raised her eyebrows.

After Hazel started using magic in combat, her opponents rarely saw her mundane. It was no surprise, given her affinity for the mystic arts. During training, she conjured a plethora of weapons and planted seals on the ground to confuse her opponents. She constantly used the environment to her advantage. She was excited and energetic-she truly loved training now. And as Hazel did well and made an interesting spectacle of herself, the Sorcerer Supreme coincidentally came out of hiding.

The Ancient One and Mordo watched the girl with well-hidden but unmistakable pride as they watched her bolt around the yard with her opponent.

"She's rougher than my other students," Mordo allowed. "But as soon as she found a way that suited her, she's been insatiable."

"I'm glad, you both did very well," the Ancient One praised. "I hope you didn't have to get too rough with her."

"She's still standing, isn't she?" he joked. "She's tireless. A conundrum if I've ever seen one."

"She uses the environment to her advantage—she knows there's more to combat than using magic; there's patience, and at times, improvising."

"She fights like she's playing a game," Mordo argued. "She's not taking this seriously."

The Ancient One still beamed at the scene until a new weapon conjured in Hazel's hands.

Hazel had moved her opponent around a pillar before striking, causing him to fall back on the stairs. With the battle in her hands, Hazel went in for a figurative kill, conjuring a thin shard of glass-like energy and holding it under the other's chin.

The sound of a folding fan hitting the ground made Mordo turn his head. The Ancient One was gone, and she'd dropped the fan half-folded when she fled. He gathered the fan before the students could notice. Of course the Ancient One was proud of Hazel for doing so well, but it hurt to see the witch resembling Kaecilius regardless of her affiliations.

When he continued surveying the match, Hazel was grinning and helping the other student to his feet. She fought differently at night.

No one pursued the Ancient One, and for that, she was infinitely grateful. Even so, she walked as far away from the fight as the walls of Kamar-Taj would allow. Then, once she reached the top of a near-empty tower, she sank to her knees in the corner. Hazel's words repeated themselves in the Ancient One's mind an unsettling amount of times.

_I don't love him; I love you._

And then she was punished for that. The Ancient One couldn't bear to love Hazel if this is what she'd become.

After training, Hazel didn't think anything amiss as she followed her sparring group into the dining hall and collected some well-deserved food.

"No, I'm just saying, calling it a 'mess hall' is gross. We're above that. This is a dining hall, Liam. Get it right."

The others chuckled at her antics. She made an effort to sound like a dogmatic bitch, but they knew she only meant to entertain her audience.

"Okay, I rest my case," Liam shrugged with a chuckle.

The acolytes sat at a table and tucked into their food. Hazel devoured her food ravenously, making others at the table glance at her.

"You sure you're above a 'mess hall'?" Liam teased. She glared at him, her eyes flashing. The growl she let out was inhuman.

"Tell me when the Ancient One walks in," she smirked, taking a sip of her juice. "Then we'll talk about refined dining."

"You really think she'd give a shit?"

The others glanced at Tara in surprise. Tara had never been one to lose her temper or swear, let alone at one of her friends or in a public place where masters could overhear.

"Well, I guess not," Hazel mumbled, a bit chagrined. "Nothing ever really seems to bother her, so…."

"Is that what you think?" the other girl demanded. "You arrogant bitch."

Hazel straightened, affronted at her seemingly random outburst. " _No_ , I was just _saying_ , she's not really…. She doesn't really act on it when she's upset or-"

"So you didn't see the way she stormed off while surveying your training today?" Tara demanded. Hazel fell silent. "You're just like him; no matter what you _say_ happened when Kaecilius took you away, you're still an arrogant, overzealous, selfish rebel who doesn't respect anyone but yourself!"

"Hey—hey!" Stephen tried interjecting, but Tara ignored him.

"You might as well have joined him," she concluded. "The Ancient One has enough on her plate right now. You're upsetting her; she doesn't _want_ you here."

Hazel looked like she'd just been slapped in the face.

"Tara," Lucas interjected quietly. "Let it go."

Tara still glared at Hazel, but her tone was level. "Don't conjure a fucking Space Shard weapon again."

"Okay…" Hazel heard herself say it, but never felt the word leave her body. She felt numb, as if she was in her astral form hovering over the table, witnessing the scene from outside of her body. And then her physical form stood. And then she ran.

Tears stung her eyes as she ran outside and around like a chicken with its head cut off, running laps and weaving through the pillars to expel the adrenaline. She leapt up onto the roof and sprinted again, then touched back to the ground, but it wasn't good enough-she had to get out of the sanctuary. She felt a tug at her shoulder when she passed through the courtyard by her favorite tree but brushed past it. She bolted through the gates and down the street, onto roofs and over the city of Kathmandu.

Buildings passed. Streets passed. People passed. Hazel bolted across a creek, the water freezing and stinging cold, clinging to her legs. Then the cobblestones beneath her feet became dirt. And the buildings thinned, and trees replaced them. Then the trees retreated, leaving wide open fields of wheat and grass that shivered like ocean waves under the light of the full moon. Field mice and frogs made the grain rustle as they fled from her path. Hazel felt brambles, stones, and brush snagging and ripping her clothes and flesh, but she still ran farther and faster.

The Ancient One couldn't see Hazel anymore. After meditating and re-balancing herself-a tiresome, monotonous part of her drawn-out life-the Sorcerer Supreme felt like herself again, if a bit melancholy, and left her rooms to return to her daily routine. However, as she drew closer and closer to the dining hall, she noticed that Hazel wasn't in the courtyard _or_ dining hall. Why would she be anywhere else? She never skipped meals...

She got the answer she dreaded to hear when she found Mordo and Stephen Strange outside the double doors of the dining hall, speaking rather heatedly to each other.

"If she's hiding, she doesn't want to speak to anyone," Mordo replied. "Leave her be for tonight. Leave Hazel and Tara to settle their differences by themselves."

Stephen sounded uncertain. "You saw the way Tara treated her—what if she's…."

"You don't know half of what happened this evening," Mordo clarified. "And neither does Hazel. If you still choose to pursue either girl, keep that in mind."

Stephen sighed and shook his head, running a hand through his hair and rotating on his heel slowly. He looked up and balked—most people do—when he noticed the Ancient One watching them.

"Someone should put a bell on you," he mumbled, not looking at her. No one wanted to confront the Ancient One about what happened at training today, it seemed.

"Something happen?" she asked, biting her tongue a moment later. She'd never been one to mince words, but her brief conversations in dragon tongue had refreshed her memory of simple words and sentences. She'd look grammatically impaired and borderline rude if she didn't keep herself in check.

Stephen and Mordo shared a look.

"A little squabbling among the acolytes," Mordo replied. "We were just looking for Hazel, actually. I fear she took a few… misguided comments to heart, and we wanted to straighten things out."

"But we can't find her anywhere," Stephen interjected. "You're familiar with her. Where are her hiding places?"

The Ancient One replied quickly enough, but Mordo caught how she glanced at the ground when Stephen said she was familiar with Hazel.

"She might be in the girl's dormitories," she suggested. "I'm sure Reiko or Tara would be willing to check."

"No," Stephen shook his head. "They're... not really getting along right now."

He expected the Ancient One to dismiss it as petty teenage drama, but his words seemed to disconcert her more than anything. If Hazel was missing after a falling out over what happened at training, then where was she?

**Safehouse**

It was dawn here. Once she breached the forest, Hazel raised her weary head and surveyed the horizon. Fields of grass stretched for miles, allowing the sky to be as big as one could imagine. Aside from the dusty-rose color of the blooming dawn, another light shone through the mist. A familiar farm house sat in the clearing. The safehouse.

Hazel made it to the yard just before the woman of the house stepped out to scatter feed for the chickens. The woman looked up, a bit surprised that she had a visitor, then a bit more surprised at how bedraggled that visitor was, then alarmed as she realized she knew that visitor.

"Hazel?"

Laura set out a plate of eggs for the girl before sitting across from her at the kitchen table.

"You're always welcome here, but I have no idea how you got here."

Hazel shrugged, picking at her food. "It's good to see you too, Laura."

The woman smiled. "I thought you were in New York with Tony. How'd you get down here?"

"Things got complicated," Hazel shrugged. She glanced up when another figure shuffled around the corner into the kitchen. Clint blinked blearily a few times and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Hey, Hazel," he waved, then gave Laura a confused look. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged briefly.

"Well," Laura seemed troubled that Hazel didn't want to explain herself, but she didn't want to press the girl. "I'll leave you to eat. You can take a bath upstairs; the kids won't be awake for a couple hours."

"Thanks," Hazel smiled.

Laura stood up and rounded the corner, beckoning Clint to follow. Hazel could still hear them as they spoke in hushed tones in the other room.

"Did you know she was coming?" Clint asked.

"No, I didn't hear anything-from anyone." Laura glanced out the window. Clint followed her look.

"Her car's not here," he noticed. "Did someone bring her?"

"No," Laura shook her head. "She just appeared. You saw her-she's a mess. She walked a long way to get here."

Clint moved closer to the window to peer around the field. No Quinjet. "Where's the nearest bus station?"

"Clint."

She was giving him an uncertain look. Her arms were crossed, more for comfort than anything else.

"I think we need to call him," she said.

"Do you really think he'd talk to us after what happened?" Clint raised his eyebrows.

"This isn't about the fight in Berlin," she argued. "This isn't about the Avengers, this isn't about..." she gestured to the house arrest monitor secured around his right ankle. "This is about Hazel. And we can either call Tony, or we can call Hazel's mother."

Clint visibly flinched at the idea. "Right. I'll call Tony."

As he went back into the kitchen, Laura disappeared upstairs after the sound of a crying child. Clint crossed the kitchen and took the landline off the wall and dialed a number. Once it started ringing, he glanced over his shoulder at Hazel. The girl was standing by the window, not facing him.

The phone rang once or twice until Tony finally picked up.

"What?"

"Good to talk to you, too," Clint greeted. "It's me. Isn't Hazel supposed to be in New York with you guys?"

"Um... kinda. Why?" Tony evaded the question.

"She's _here_ ," Clint replied urgently. "I don't even know how she got out here by herself-she didn't drive or anything..."

"Wait, she's _there_? Is she alright?"

Clint glanced over his shoulder at Hazel again. "She looks like she's been dragged through a ditch, but she won't tell us anything. It would've taken her two days to get down here, at least, so what's going on?"

"Actually..." Clint frowned as he heard Tony mumbling away from the receiver about a tracker. "I sent her to this... summer camp-thing in Kathmandu-"

" _What_?!"

"Look, just let me talk to her."

Clint heaved a sigh and looked at the ceiling before turning to Hazel.

"It's for you," he gave her the receiver. Hazel could tell who he'd been talking to solely by how tired he sounded.

"What?" Hazel sighed.

"Hey, kid. What's going on? Your phone's still in Kathmandu; what are you doing at Clint's farm?"

Hazel glanced at Clint, who'd moved to the sink to get a glass of water. "Things got complicated."

"I'm gonna need more than that. Did something go wrong with that Ancient-person? Did anyone try to hurt you again?"

"Look," Hazel twirled the phone cord idly. "Nothing happened, no one tried anything. I just got overwhelmed; you don't have to worry about me. Anyway, I won't be home for a while longer, I just decided to pop over... test a new spell I learned."

"Test a spell?" Tony repeated.

"Yeah," Hazel nodded and gestured for Clint to calm down.

"Alright," Tony allowed. Hazel peeked into the other room where she thought she saw someone walking by. "Just remember to keep your phone on you. And do they... let you bathe at school?"

"What?" Hazel glanced at the phone, then at herself before looking back into the living room. "Yeah, I was just. Yeah, I'll take a bath. Bye, Tony."

"Get back to you phone, alright?"

Hazel put the receiver back on the wall absentmindedly as she looked around the room uncertainly. She felt a chill down her spine, and her heart began to race. She glanced out the window, catching only a glimpse of a shadow running along the side of the house. She nearly jumped.

" _Fuck_ ," she muttered. Clint looked at her sharply.

"What?" he asked.

She had to go back.

"I've got to go," Hazel started towards the table, expecting to find her bag lying there waiting for her. No, of course it wasn't-she'd left everything but the clothes on her back at Kamar-Taj. Instead, she started searching the kitchen drawers frantically. "Hey, do you have a candle?"

"A candle?" Clint raised an eyebrow, but began helping her look. "We should. Hold on a minute."

Hazel's breathing hitch when she looked out the window again. On the border of the forest, shadows loomed and waved their hands as if beckoning Hazel.

"Forget it," she shook her head, scanning the kitchen. A bowl of vegetable rinds caught her eye. "Do you have a fireplace?"

"Yeah? In the living room?" Clint replied slowly, then followed Hazel as the girl grabbed the bowl and bolted to said room. "We don't usually light it in the summer. Hey, wait-!"

Hazel knelt by the fireplace and began stacking the vegetable rinds in a pattern in the fireplace. Clint narrowed his eyes and watched her for a minute.

"Okay, what are you doing?"

"You remember those nightmares I had about the woods behind your house?" Hazel asked.

"Yes..." Clint recalled the last time Hazel stayed here and spent more than one night awake-or sleepwalking-going on about something in the forest and fields. And a number of other bizarre events revolving around Hazel. "Are you... okay? What is this about?"

"You know Wanda's magic, right?" Hazel turned her head.

"Yes."

"And now," Hazel opened the flue. "I'm magic and a dream demon from another dimension is after me."

Clint stared at her. "What."

It wasn't a question.

"And," Hazel continued. "There's monsters outside looking for me ready to take me by force."

"What?!"

Clint leapt into action, probably going to retrieve one of the hundred weapons he had stashed around the house for this very purpose.

"Don't bother!" Hazel snapped over her shoulder. Something about her tone made him hesitated and look at her. "They can't do anything if I get a fire going. Once I leave, they'll leave you and your family alone."

"Hazel-"

"Trust me," Hazel implored. Once she was sure he wouldn't do anything that would agitate the Guests, she turned to the fireplace. "I'm sorry, but I need your help again, friend. I promise I'll repay you; just please do as I ask."

Clint stared at this absurd scene, about to object, when the rinds in the fireplace suddenly burst into a large burst of flame. How did Hazel do that without a match or lighter? And how had such a big fire come from such little rinds? And so quickly? Hazel nodded gratefully and continued speaking.

"Alright. There's Guests in the woods. Protect the house until they leave, alright?"

The fire shivered and stuttered, and Clint thought he was going crazy, but he could swear the fire was nodding. Hazel got up and turned to him.

"Don't put that out until the sun rises," she warned seriously. "Okay, I'm going now."

She slipped her sling ring over her fingers and raised a hand, conjuring a portal right there in the middle of the living room. Clint watched her go, too startled to say anything, too confused to question her, but damn sure he wasn't putting that fire out.

He heard Laura coming back down the stairs as he scrambled to put more logs on the fire.

"Honey, is everything alright-holy..."

She froze just past the corner as she saw Hazel step into a portal and disappear without a trace. She gave Clint a bewildered look. All he could do was shrug.

**Kathmandu**

"Well, where could she have gone?"

"How would I know that? Hazel's unpredictable, powerful... she could be anywhere on Earth right now!"

"She has a tracker in her cellphone," the Ancient One interjected. "We could contact her family and see if they know where she is."

Stephen shook his head. "Hazel left her bag in the dining hall before she disappeared; she left everything here."

"She couldn't have been taken again," Mordo mumbled. "And she wouldn't have left on her own."

Stephen bit his tongue. He didn't question Hazel's loyalty, but after her altercation with Tara, he wasn't sure what she'd do.

"She wouldn't," he agreed reluctantly. "But if that's true, why would she-"

"Look at that."

The two men faltered and followed the Ancient One's gaze. They were on the edge of the empty courtyard, standing beneath the blue-flowered tree. And there, lying nestled in the roots of the tree and wrapped in a small, brown blanket was none other than the missing witch.

"How'd we miss her?" Stephen whispered. "We checked here three times."

"Sometimes hiding isn't about being seen or not," the Ancient One replied. She wasn't facing them. They could only assume her expression. "Please leave Hazel to me. She's safe; you don't need to worry for her anymore."

Stephen spared Hazel one last glance before retreating back into Kamar-Taj after Mordo. Once they were left alone, the Ancient One slowly stepped closer to the girl. The spotted cat curled up beside the girl, watching her. He raised his head and purred at the Ancient One until he was scratched affectionately on the head. The woman sat beside him and sighed. What was she going to do with Hazel Grace?

"Oh," Hazel stirred, her voice quiet and husky as if she'd been shouting. "It's you."

"It's me," the Ancient One confirmed. Hazel leaned against the tree, turning her face as if to be absorbed by it.

"Are you mad?" she asked.

"No. Why would I be angry with you?"

"Tara said you didn't want me here if I'm going to turn out like Kaecilius."

The Ancient One craned her neck to get a better look at the girl. Hazel reluctantly looked at her with those golden-brown eyes.

"Are you?" the woman asked. Hazel blinked and straightened up.

"No. Why would I join someone who wants to encourage my Main Guest? To do so, I would turn into something inhuman, something like... a parasite in a human skin. Maybe that's what he wanted of me. But I won't oblige."

The Ancient One smiled sadly. "A valid reason, but that's not what you told me a few days ago-"

She reached out to brush Hazel's hair back, but promptly froze when the girl jolted away. Hazel expected to be hit. The elder lowered her hands and stared at the soil. A moment of silence passed, broken only by the chime of bells hanging at the edge of the courtyard. In the distance, a collection of soft, ethereal voices could be heard crying out an ancient song.

"I'm sorry."

The Ancient One raised her head sharply at the sound of the voice muffled with tears. Hazel was leaning against the tree again, staring at her imploringly. The Ancient One couldn't say anything to that. There was nothing to forgive.

Tentatively, Hazel's hand crept closer to the pale hands of her teacher. The woman took Hazel's hands firmly, running her thumbs over the scraped flesh of Hazel's palms and fingers. From that small touch, Hazel seemed to melt, all the adrenaline and sorrow melting away from her, leaving only a dry contentment.

_She didn't forget anything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited this chapter HEAVILY before I posted it. When I first wrote this chapter (in January, I guess), I didn't regard the MCU timeline at all, mostly because "screw canon" is my motto when writing the first draft, haha. There were also a lot of character interactions and training montages that I cut for word count, plus I didn't want the story to lose its focus on what's really important... demon magic and Hazel romancing anything that developed sentience.


	11. Ataashii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm sorry, Ancient One, I just don't know why you're finally speaking to me again unless you wanna THROW HANDS--"

**Braid**

Since the beginning of the summer, Kamar-Taj was constantly abuzz with chatter about the Pagan acolyte. Of course, when the students were only allowed off the grounds once a month, it was expected they'd talk a lot about which they knew very little. It was nothing disrespectful. After Litha, what reluctance acolytes had to interact with Hazel turned into curiosity. If the Ancient One had a familiarity with Hazel and her games, surely it was nothing bad. They all adapted to allow Hazel to do her strange things in peace. But their rumors soon ran out of substance. The Ancient One was rarely seen around her anymore, and whatever spell Hazel performed was just another inconsistency from one day to the next. Soon enough, the acolytes didn't talk about Hazel anymore, and the sanctuary was quiet again.

However, the gossip chain blazed right back to life when everyone saw the Ancient One out of hiding and sitting with the acolyte in the courtyard. They couldn't be doing anything important; the Sorcerer Supreme was a very private person, so she wouldn't conduct any manner of teaching out in the open like this.

The two were sitting on a bench together, Hazel with her back to the Ancient One. The elder ran a comb through the girl's seemingly untameable hair. Usually, Hazel had it pulled back in a ponytail or bun to keep it out of the way, but it seemed the Ancient One had a better idea today.

Hazel twitched, her hands kneading the hem of her robe.

"What is it?" the Ancient One leaned to the side a little to look at Hazel's teary eyes.

" _Ow,_ " the girl protested, as if it was obvious. She thought that the woman could be perfectly gentle and motherly when it suited her, but her skill in hair-brushing was reprehensible at best, probably from years of being neglected.

"I'm sorry _,_ " the Ancient One returned to tugging at Hazel's hair, making sure to go more slowly for a moment. "I'm not used to doing this sort of thing anymore. There, is that better?"

"Yeah," Hazel sighed. She felt a slight tugging at her hair as the woman twisted her locks into a plain braid. "It's always a mess. So, why'd you want to do this anyway?"

The other shrugged. "Do I need a reason?"

"That's..." Hazel narrowed her eyes. "I don't know; that sounds like a kind of shady answer, _Ataashii_."

The Ancient One smiled and tied off the braided mane with a ribbon. "There. I hope that'll do."

"It's perfect," Hazel beamed confidently without inspecting it. She got to her feet and trotted off to her next class. "Thanks, mom!"

The Ancient One was left watching fondly after her.

It didn't take long for others to notice Hazel and the Ancient One spending time together again. Between classes, meetings, and other important duties, one could find the pair practicing a spell or game and chatting in that mysterious tongue. Groups of students buzzed with rumors about the hows and whys of such a development, but always fell silent whenever Hazel or the Ancient One were in earshot. Usually when regarding the odd-goings-on at Kamar-Taj, students would approach Hazel directly, (that didn't mean they'd get any straight answers), but with the Ancient One now involved, they were all scared off.

No one mentioned it, but they were controlled by a longing for normality that made it impossible for them to acknowledge these new, different, worrisome events. Worrisome events like what happened at training.

Hazel had reached a point in her combat training, and that point was control. She had the skill and flamboyance of a young prodigal sorcerer, but she was energetic and fierce. Brute strength was a weakness, but that coupled with her agility and unpredictable fighting style made her an intriguing opponent. Today, as if to accentuate her progress, Mordo put Hazel up against a line of acolytes. One by one, the acolytes would spar with her until the match was decided by a time limit or obvious defeat.

The Ancient One watched the match with an amused glint in her eye. Hazel no longer conjured space shards, or anything that menacing, really, nor did she act aggressively, even in jest. Mordo was right; Hazel did fight like she was playing a game, but lately Hazel stopped playing the 'everyone is a scary Zealot that could kill me' in favor for conjuring brightly colored shields and playing 'I'm Captain America and I have to help the meek and save the small.' The Ancient One felt a nearly uncomfortable warmth in her chest. She'd never seen a thing quite like Hazel Grace before.

"She's improved," Mordo allowed. His tone was unimpressed, but the Ancient One knew he was equally entertained by the match. "She's a versatile and unpredictable opponent. She keeps finding new ways to implement all kinds of magic into her fighting style. I usually pair her with students who fall into a pattern. She fits in well here."

"I don't doubt it," the woman replied. "Her fear transformed into strength."

Speaking of transformation, Hazel surprised all of her onlookers by suddenly changing form, taking the aspect of a quadrupedal canine and rushing around the yard and her opponent. After a few moments of this, Hazel changed back to a human when it suited her.

"Are we..." the Ancient One squinted at the scene before her in disbelief and confusion. "Do we teach shapeshifting here?"

"I'm afraid not," Mordo grinned. "That's something Hazel came up with by herself. She credits her Guests, of course, but there must be real magic in it. Her magic. I blame Strange entirely, but the masters and I don't know if we should scold her or not."

"No... she only needs a gesture." The Ancient One closed her folding fan. It was time to try.

After tackling another opponent to the ground, Hazel turned to pursue the next in line. However, when her eyes befell the elegant Sorcerer Supreme herself standing there wielding two glowing, half-fan mandalas, the grey wolf's four legs paralyzed and shook. Her eyes never wavered from the woman, but she could sense the other students drawing away and watching the couple with equal parts wariness and curiosity. The elder didn't look upset or confrontational; she just looked like another sparring partner waiting for Hazel to attack. Actually, after a moment, the woman looked downright _amused_.

"Well?" she asked. "Why wouldn't you attack me if I challenge you? I'm your opponent."

Hazel stood frozen. Part of her wanted to bolt away-as far away as she could manage within the barrier-and another part of her wanted to stay there. Stay and what? Keep gawking like a fool? Challenge the Ancient One? No. _Why not? I'm an opponent, why wouldn't you attack me?_

 _It's because I love you._ Hazel thought, and the Ancient One loved every bit of it. The elder smiled and dispelled her weapons, relinquishing her challenge and turning to leave as if nothing was amiss.

"Work very hard," she called over her shoulder.

Hazel still stared and could only think of the things she wished to say. Her mind screamed _wait_ , but the elder never gave her so much as a sideways glance.

She snapped.

 _"Ataashii_!" she snarled indignantly.

The Ancient One froze at the edge of the courtyard, then turned around so quickly and fluidly that she seemed to float. Hazel's gaze was no longer overcome by fear. Instead, she stared at the elder resolutely, as if in her own kind of challenge. The elder was composed. She waited a moment, gave Hazel a slight nod-or maybe it was a shrug-then resumed her exit as if nothing had happened. Hazel puffed out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding, confused and slightly put off at the other's dismissive behavior. Little did she know, the seemingly arrogant sorceress fell prey to wondering tirelessly just what she should have said instead of walking away.

Once the Ancient One was out of sight, Hazel returned to human form and sank to her knees.

Hazel didn't fight well the rest of the day, and Stephen made sure to tell her after class was adjourned.

"Kid, if _I_ can get the better of you, you wouldn't stand a chance in a real fight."

"What do you know of real fights?" Hazel asked, uncharacteristically defensive and indignant. Mordo interjected as he replaced a few staffs on the weapon racks.

"You both know that in a real fight, an opponent doesn't simply relent because they gain the upper hand," he stated. "And if _that's_ how you fight when mildly flustered, Strange has every right to berate you."

"Mildly flustered?" Hazel demanded. "Did you _hear_ what she said to me?"

The master's lips turned up in an amused smirk. "That was... interesting to watch. I don't think the Ancient One has ever challenged a student during a sparring lesson before."

"So why'd she do it to me?" Hazel asked. "I mean, what does she want with me? I'm not her only powerful student."

"You are gifted," he allowed. "However, so was Kaecilius."

Hazel bristled. "That doesn't mean I-"

"And she knows that," he assured her. "No one suspects you anymore, Hazel. Perhaps she was only proving a point. Just because something involves you doesn't mean it's about you."

"Yeah?" Hazel tried to look relieved, but she couldn't shake the disappointment. Of course, when given special attention by the Ancient One, any student would feel important for a fleeting moment.

"So, why do you wear your sling ring on a cord around your neck?" Stephen asked as he and Hazel made their way to the dining hall.

"Just _imagine_ anyone asking, 'hey, you got your sling ring?'"

Hazel then slapped her pocket loudly enough for several others in the hall to turn their heads. Hazel then waited for Stephen to say something, as if her point was made with that alone.

"Um..." Stephen blinked. "Yeah, sure..."

Hazel grinned, but stumbled-a physical, nervous stutter in her steps. Stephen looked forward again, well aware of the pattern in Hazel's behavior. As he predicted, the Ancient One crossed their path not a moment later. She was going the other way, but she still regarded the two and spoke to Hazel in that foreign tongue.

" _Bo kiptiid_?" ( _Time for dinner?_ )

" _Geh_ ," Hazel nodded, her voice breathy and light.

" _Pruzah_ ," the other dismissed, continuing on her way.

Hazel pirouetted slowly to watch the woman for a moment. Her face felt warm. Stephen's mouth spread in a disgusting smirk.

"What?" Hazel demanded irately.

"Nothing," he shook his head and looked elsewhere.

"I'm not..." Hazel folded her arms and kneaded her sleeves. "Stop that. A lot of students get nervous around her. She's powerful."

"True, but you're the only one here who managed to convince her to do a Pagan ritual with you. How'd you do it?"

"She... I asked, and she..."

"She likes you, Hazel. It's okay."

"She does not," the girl argued. "Mordo told us _both_ that she was just proving a point today. Morale and all that."

"And what does your secret language have to do with morale?"

"Secret language?" Her eyebrows drew together.

"Yeah, you two use it all the time with each other. What did you even say to her after training?"

 _"Ataashii._ " Hazel replied simply and confidently.

"And that means?" he raised his eyebrows.

Hazel opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again. She wouldn't be helping herself any if she replied truthfully.

Thankfully, they'd reached the dining hall, and Stephen was quickly occupied by other acolytes. However, for Hazel, the seeds of doubt had already been planted and watered. She didn't know why Kaecilius' words came back to her in that moment.

_What about her compels you so deeply?_

**Doubter**

Hazel withdrew in her free time, and no one sought her out. She hid in plain sight, observing the other students and masters without acknowledging any of it. Her mind was far away from Kamar-Taj, in a dimension she couldn't yet know, but her thoughts carried seamlessly as she was progressively instilled with doubt. Doubt of her power and doubt of her teacher.

She considered Kaecilius to a nearly obsessive degree. She replayed her conversation with him over and over in her head, remembering every little detail she could. He bothered her, haunted her. And his words haunted her even still. She deceives you, she's afraid of you, she wishes to contain your power...

Hazel thought of how the Sorcerer Supreme challenged her during training. "Well," she'd demanded, as if she expected Hazel to oblige fighting a powerful time being that Hazel loved unconditionally. The Ancient One knew Hazel's loyalty. The challenge was just a show. Or insurance, perhaps? Hazel fretted tirelessly for hours on her own. Why was she doing this?

_She needs control._

"My Lady?"

The Ancient One tore her eyes away from the globe to the London Sanctum gate, where Master Peter Percival stood with a troubled expression on his face.

"Master Percival?" she spoke in her usual aloof tone. She was relieved that, despite her encounter with Hazel the other day, she was feeling very much herself again. "Do you have something to report?"

"No, Master, I'm actually..." he pressed the tip of his tongue to the back of his teeth indecisively. "... _concerned_ about that girl you took in."

"About the binding ritual, you mean?" the woman turned to fully face him, realization coupled with patience dominating her features. Behind her, Mordo started shaking his head in warning.

"Not quite," Master Percival admitted. "It's about yesterday."

Ah, now the Ancient One saw what was going on. She kept her feelings of exhasperation well-concealed; honestly, she challenged _one student_ and now everyone was out of sorts over it.

"I see," the Ancient One nodded and turned away, gesturing for both men follow her through the library and halls of the sanctuary. Percival scrambled after them, measuring his words better than he measured his steps.

"Yes, ma'am. You see, I..."

"If this is about our disagreement the other day, I assure you there was no transgression made." The Ancient One's tone was patient, for now. She was tired of explaining it to every master who spoke with her that day. She greeted two other masters as she passed by. "Master Hamir, Wong, did you find anything of use?"

The two men followed after her, Mordo, and Percival, shaking their heads dismally.

Hamir spoke, "We searched the tomes in the library, but haven't found any record of the binding ritual."

"We might not _have_ a record of it," Wong added.

"I feared that," the Ancient One sighed, then returned her attention to Percival. "I merely wanted to see what Hazel would do in that situation. That's all."

"O-of course," Percival bowed his head, imagining her blooming frustration. "I was more concerned about your timing. With all this madness with Kaecilius on our plate, I... I think we should have waited to take her in at all."

"Oh?" the woman blinked at him, a bit surprised at his forwardness. "I understand, but I also ask that you consider Hazel's situation. She's tormented by darkness without seeing anything to gain from it. That, and she's been abused by every master she's found before us. Kaecilius would have found her whether or not she came to us first. Imagine something as powerful as her against us. Tell me, Percival, would you have turned her away in her time of great need?"

Percival looked to the ground again. "No, master."

"And regarding her attitude problem," the Ancient One looked ahead again as they entered the courtyard. "That's _why_ I challenged her the way I did. To prove that she, unlike Kaecilius, won't rise to challenge me in the future-"

She abruptly froze in her tracks and twisted out of the way of a sudden, almost unforeseen attack. Her attacker dove at her from a higher place and landed behind the group of masters. The Ancient One stood in front of the other masters, mandalas in hand, as if to shield them from the assailant.

Hazel Grace stood, holding two conjured mandalas and glaring at the Ancient One.

"It's you," the Ancient One frowned. It wasn't a question.

Hazel wordlessly lunged at the Ancient One again, swinging her weapons quickly and finishing her series of attacks by taking her beast form and lunging past the woman once more. The Sorcerer Supreme was still unscathed, but excited and confused all the same.

"What's gotten into you?" she demanded. She didn't think Hazel would attack her in the open in front of a group of masters like this. Speaking of, the other masters began conjuring weapons and preparing for battle, but the Ancient One wouldn't allow that. "Stand down, masters. We're not dealing with a wandering demon."

Hazel's eyes never left the Ancient One. She was here to challenge the Ancient One alone.

The Sorcerer Supreme addressed Hazel in an inquisitive tone. " _Hi paar fah?_ " (What do you want?)

" _Hi ag fah krif,_ " Hazel growled, inclining her head, exposing her neck and releasing a thin trail of smoke from between her fangs. Her voice was a deep, slow, slithering hiss. Regardless of the words she spoke or the tongue she used, there was something very... _obscene_ about her display. " _Daargein fen krif,_ Ancient One."

The others tensed when they saw the Ancient One shift and narrow her eyes.

"What did she say?" Mordo pressed.

"It seems she's issuing a challenge," the woman replied as she nonchalantly conjured a mandala fan again. "Masters, I would appreciate it if you left the two of us alone."

The men were all wary, but most reluctant of all was Percival.

"Master!"

" _Alone_ , please, Percival?" she insisted. He hesitantly nodded and drew away. The instant the others were out of harm's way (and sight), the Ancient One and Hazel began circling in the empty courtyard. There were no other people to be seen or heard, and the pair doubted they would be interrupted anytime soon. The sanctuary was isolating them.

"What is this about, Hazel Grace?"

"Kaecilius told me you're a liar," the girl who looked like a wolf snarled.

"And you believed him?" It pained her to hear that name.

"'Course not," the beast gave a cocky grin and looked elsewhere for a moment. The Ancient One narrowed her eyes. Even for Hazel, such behavior was a bit _too_ arrogant. "He's led astray by a lavish deception. He merely made me think a little, and I have a question of my own."

" _Laan_ ," she dared. ( _Ask_.)

"You claim to protect me," Hazel came to a stop, returning to her human form and facing the elder completely. "Could you?"

The elder's face changed for a split second, but in that mere moment between composure, Hazel saw unmistakable fear. Hazel's eyebrows rose, her face in a faint smile. Arrogant, again.

The Ancient One regarded her with disappointment. Hazel perceived condescension.

"Kaecilius has led you astray," the elder murmured, her voice nearly a whisper. Hazel held her breath to hear her. "You may not follow him, but it was he who drew you away from me all the same."

"Does that hurt you?" Hazel glared at her. "You claim to be strong, but you couldn't defeat the Main Guest. You think I don't know what happened the night of the breach? _You_ pursued the Main Guest alone and came back _wounded_ and fatigued, and the Guests _still_ haunt me, _unhindered_."

"Of course they do," the Ancient One admitted, retaining dignity in spite of the situation. "Like Dormammu and the Dark Dimension, your demon is too great to vanquish like a common monster. We never defeat our demons, Hazel Grace; we can only live above them."

" _You_ were bested by one of my Guests," Hazel insisted incredulously. She remembered it so vividly now, on the night of the Breach, how the Ancient One was distracted for a mere moment before the Guest got the better of her. "If you couldn't handle that, could you handle me?"

"Do you honestly think you could defeat me?" the Ancient One asked monotonously. However, beneath her disappointment and misery, she admitted a childish excitement at the prospect. The dominating dragon spirit she and Hazel had forged with their careless conversation was finally shining through. That, and she did wish to see Hazel fight unhindered by no-kill restrictions.

As Hazel returned to her beast form, her spine shivered, as if she was trying to characterize a shrug in her canine form. Her golden eyes locked onto the elder once more. Her tone was deliberate, and her words were true.

"If I best you," she seethed. "I will leave Kamar-Taj forever. If you can't defeat me, I'm no better off here than anywhere else. And if you best me, I want you to kill me."

"Hazel?" the Ancient One hadn't expected a gamble like that.

This time, the girl looked pleading, more desperate than angry. "Living without fear won't replace me in the _Tangahshii_. If this is my last summer, my last day, I want to be taken by your hand, not by my Main Guest. Please, _Ataashii_ , I _want_ you to kill me."

"Hazel..."

The witch didn't allow for any more conversation. She recoiled and lunged at the Ancient One. The woman dodged and threw out her hand, causing the world around them to refract and distort like cracked glass. Hazel's eyes wheeled around uncertainly at the subtle but concrete shift in her surroundings.

"I've taken our fight elsewhere, to the mirror dimension," the Ancient One explained, her tone cold and hard, unfamiliar to Hazel. "If our little scrape gets out of hand, I wish to contain the damages."

"You... what?" Hazel looked imploringly at the other. For a moment, the elder thought the girl had second thoughts about her challenge.

However, the woman merely glared at her. "You know far less than you realize, Hazel Grace."

The hellhound girl scoffed, then crouched and darted at her opponent. The Ancient One conjured another shield.

Hazel had been holding back on her fellow students; when going up against the Ancient One, all rules were out the window. She used all the offensive spells she knew of, conjured fire and spectral weapons, attacked quickly and ruthlessly, and took the forms of beasts so grotesque and overwhelming that no other student would dare fight Hazel alone. However, she didn't fight to kill. That's why the Sorcerer Supreme went easy on her.

The Ancient One, in spite of Hazel's efforts, was fairly unaffected. She dodged Hazel's attacks and quickly countered whenever the girl got too close for comfort. Had she been fighting any other student, the Ancient One might've considered sending them careening through dimensions until they calmed down, but that wasn't an option now. If Hazel left Kamar-Taj, even to another reality entirely, the Main Guest would surely see her and take her away. True, she was being a real brat right now, but the Ancient One still saw possibility here. She just needed to be mindful.

Hazel was close enough to touch. The Ancient One pushed Hazel back, inflicting a magic seal as she did so. Abruptly returned to human form and feeling her power leave her, Hazel straightened and darted back a few steps as the Ancient One performed a series of quick strikes aimed at Hazel's face and neck. Hazel utilized her mundane hand-to-hand skills before leaping to the side and climbing a statue and onto the roof at the edge of the yard.

The Ancient One waited, watching, whilst Hazel stilled, closing her eyes and breathing shallowly for a moment. She was helpless, hurt, hellishly bound-back in that place, the dream dimension, so dark and cold and strange, where the Guests hunger for her bones and flesh... Hazel forced herself to take a breath. The seal was lifted, but she wasn't given another moment of rest before the roof beneath her vanished, leaving her exposed to another attack. Hazel sprang away.

Before she could be sealed again, Hazel called out to her Guests. A line of phantoms of the wolves of Asgard came to her aid. The Ancient One struck down the wolf pack with no remorse; they were specters, illusions. As soon as they died here, they were returned to their rightful dimensions, unscathed and healthy. The Sorcerer Supreme was glad there was no real consequence to this fight. However, that didn't mean it was pointless.

Hazel put her hands together and made a series of motions to conjure a sigil seal. The sigil appeared before transforming into a usable weapon. The Ancient One deflected Hazel's barrage of strikes.

Hazel staggered back, irritatingly fatigued. "I didn't believe a word he said. But it brought up the question-you're the one who always encourages me, yet you repress me more than anyone."

She lunged at the elder again, but the Ancient One merely raised a hand, sending a wave of force through the ground that pushed the girl back several feet as the courtyard grew wider and longer than before.

" _Nivahzah!_ When have I ever repressed you-discouraged you from growing stronger? I was the only one who believed in your goodness, and this is how you act?"

"You're _afraid_ of my power, just like everyone else!" Hazel growled. "You never want me to overpower you, so you distract me and make me look foolish to ensure I never challenge you."

Hazel conjured a cloud of leaves in the air, blinding the Ancient One, before rushing forward with a conjured blade in hand. The Ancient One turned, evading Hazel by centimeters and grabbing the girl around the shoulders in a restraining hold. She sealed the girl and held a golden half-mandala under Hazel's chin.

"What made you change your mind?" the elder asked. Hazel writhed until she slithered out of the other's grip, backing away as soon as she was released. Blood dripped on the ground beneath her.

Hazel's vision blurred momentarily.

_What about her compels you so deeply?_

She scoffed. "I call you _Ataashii-_ Highest One, but you never earned that title through power or deed. You simply are. A shame, really."

"I never intended for you to call me _Ataashii_ ," the Ancient One replied calmly. "And I'll ever be nothing more. You don't know me. You came to call me that because you were hopelessly infatuated with age and power."

Age? Perhaps. Power? What power had the elder truly shown?

" _Beauty_ ," Hazel corrected, getting to her feet and charging again.

She was prepared to be sealed and fight hand to hand again, but she wasn't prepared for the well-timed strike to her stomach that staggered her or the following series of attacks.

Hazel picked herself up off the ground unsteadily, seeing more dots of red splash on the ground beneath her.

"You need to stop," the Ancient One advised. "You'll hurt yourself."

"It's my privilege to get hurt," Hazel snarled. "I chose to live. Then I chose to love you, but what should I think now? You're empty, evasive. You're afraid. So you let me suffer because you're too proud to let me near you?!"

She lunged at the elder again, jaws wide and aching for the taste of blood, but the Ancient One simply darted aside and let the girl be her own ruin. Hazel overstepped when she landed, twisted her paws and fell in a heap.

"Please stay down," the Ancient One requested quietly.

"Kill me!" Hazel begged. "Tell me you love me, and then kill me! No one else will know, no one will question you or think differently of you. You could tell them I attacked you, that I was a spy for Kaecilius. I'm bound to the Main Guest anyway-what does it matter if I die by your hand?"

"No!" the Ancient One snapped, then her tone softened. "Hazel. You didn't come to me to die. I won't kill you without cause."

Hazel snarled. "Then I'll give you cause."

Hazel darted around the courtyard again, not intending to attack the elder. The Ancient One watched her in confusion until she realised Hazel was drawing _lines of power_ on the ground in a pattern-a pentagram with a series of sigils embellishing the border. The seal activated, and the Ancient One could feel all her power suddenly drain from her in that split second. As Hazel leapt at her, the Ancient One quickly and deliberately staggered the girl before taking a small dagger from her belt and driving it into the middle of the seal to break it. Then, before Hazel could notice what just happened, the Ancient One summoned twin mandalas again.

Beaten but not defeated, Hazel rose again, desperate for death, for a sign of truth from this fickle, unpredictable, evasive creature. The Ancient One summoned another wave of stone, sending Hazel back until she slammed against the sanctuary wall. There, she crumpled to the ground and remained motionless.

The Ancient One approached her and knelt beside the girl's body. After cutting the sling ring free from around Hazel's neck, the elder gathered Hazel in her arms and carried her away.

"Why is humiliation never enough for you?" she whispered.

**Healer's ward**

The Ancient One brought Hazel to Kai, the healer. Hazel was always a careless sort, but her skill in regeneration kept her out of the healer's ward. However, Kai knew the girl's figure immediately when she was carried in and set down on one of the cots.

"What's happened?" the healer asked urgently. The Ancient One was lucky word of Hazel's challenge hadn't spread. "Was there another breach in the wards?"

It was the only explanation he could think up, the woman realized. After all, how could Hazel be beaten to the point of unconsciousness in Mordo's combat classes? The Sorcerer Supreme grimaced. Maybe she'd gone too far. But Hazel had insisted...

"Her wounds aren't fatal," the Ancient One evaded his query by giving more important information. "But she's fatigued, and I'm afraid with her current state of unconsciousness, she won't heal as quickly as she's used to. Can you do anything for her?"

After a moment of checking Hazel over, Kai relaxed. She was bruised, not broken, and a little scratched, but fixable, most importantly. He raised his head to give the Ancient One a reassuring nod.

"Of course. I'll mend her wounds and bring her some tea when she wakes up..." He narrowed his eyes and reached a hand out. "You're bleeding-"

The Ancient One pulled away from him, cupping her cheek self-consciously. A small scratch under her cheekbone gushed blood. But when did she-of _course_. She'd been vulnerable in Hazel's seal, at least for a split second. She must've been so startled that she didn't realize she'd taken any damage. How careless.

"Master, your hands!"

The Ancient One hurriedly lowered her hand to inspect it. Both her hands were red and blistered, burned badly. She'd been so careless.

"We both have better things to do," she said quietly, then turned away from him. "Please tend to Hazel, Kai."

This was a dream, and Hazel knew so. In this dream, she ran through a forest under a crescent moon night. Darkness surrounded her, making it impossible for her to see her own hand in front of her face. However, she knew she was in a forest because of the brambles and brush that scraped painfully against her legs and arms. Distant flames danced between the trees, but Hazel couldn't tell where they were coming from, if they were contained or approaching, or if they were meant to light her way.

She only knew of the Thing that chased her.

Heavy hoof-beats followed Hazel through the pitch-black woods. Sometimes, she could hear heavy breathing; this thing was obviously running just as hard as she was. Then, as the beats drew closer and closer, Hazel felt the moist, hot breath of a beast creep down her neck. Hazel froze, her body locking up from fear and hopeless resignation. She tumbled through the brambles and ended up lying sprawled out on her side. The hoof-beats rushed right past her and faded in the distance.

Hazel heard her own breathing loudly and clearly. If the hoofed beast had no interest in her, what was chasing her? What dark creature loomed, _lurked_ just behind her, listening to her breathe? She heard and saw nothing, but just as she feared, Something touched her. The hand was humanoid with a skinny palm and five fingers. Rough, but not uncomfortably so-the hand of a young man, she thought.

Then she heard it. That thick, sour, reedy, wheezing rasp of a voice dripping over her rigid, paralyzed body and slithering into her ear where it didn't belong.

" _Call... call my name._ "

Hazel awoke with a start. She was in the healer's ward with unexpected company. The patched cat was there, of course, but he was currently sitting in the lap of a former neurosurgeon that sat in a chair on the other side of the room.

"Am I awake?" she rasped, rubbing her eyes and trying to sit up slowly.

"Take it easy," Stephen cautioned. "You hit your head pretty hard."

Hazel leaned against the wall, wiggling her toes and fingers and tilting her head-checking herself over, Stephen realized.

"I'm fine," she decided. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, when I saw the Ancient One carry you in here, I was bound by my Hippocratic oath to stay until you woke up."

"Really," Hazel sighed. Then the events of the last few hours returned to her, making her fall uneasily silent.

"And now that you are awake, I'll be-"

"I see you're awake," Mordo entered the room. Stephen leaned back in the chair and let the cat settle back down in his lap. The master did not look pleased to see Hazel awake.

"Yeah," Hazel sighed. "I guess I should take it easy next time, huh?"

"Absolutely not!"

Hazel startled, at once meeting the Master Sorcerer's deadly glare. Even Stephen stiffened. Hazel, on the other hand, was more aloofly startled than wary. She'd never seen him so livid before.

"There will not _be_ a next time, Hazel Grace. Whatever _possessed_ you to challenge the Ancient One?"

"But..." Hazel tried to defend herself. "She challenged _me_ , remember?"

"She didn't challenge you to fight!" he shot back. "She challenged you to prove your loyalty to her. And just because you can hold your own in my class does _not_ mean you're ready for a real fight, let alone against the Sorcerer Supreme. If she wanted to meet your challenge in earnest, you wouldn't even be sitting here right now. You are nothing compared to the masters here."

Hazel's head darted to the side, her hair thrashing from the motion.

"The Ancient One agreed to help you if you respected _her_. She treated you differently, I'll admit that, but you let it make you proud. Too proud. Proud enough that you disregard her title, her station- _you_ , who once greeted her with the greatest reverence I've seen from _anyone_ the very first time you laid eyes on her, and now you speak to her like she's nothing to you. An _equal_. And after today, I can't say what will be done with you."

Hazel glared at her hands. An equal? Her _Ataashii_? Granted, the term was used loosely when compared to the traditional use of the word, but given the aftereffects of the fight, the Ancient One had _proven_ herself in blood that she was Hazel's unconditional superior. The very idea that the Ancient One was _nothing_ to Hazel struck a nerve that had been scraped raw by now. In her bitterness and shock, she only thought one phrase about everything he'd said to her. _You don't know anything._

The door to the healer's ward slid open again. The visitor was the first and last person anyone expected to see there.

"Visiting a friend?" the Ancient One asked of the two men, who glanced at each other and away awkwardly. The woman maneuvered around them, tea tray in hand, to sit on the edge of Hazel's bed.

" _Ataashii_ ," Hazel breathed, still happy to see her.

" _Grind-tah,_ " the other nodded, absentmindedly setting the tray down on the bed and pouring two cups of tea.

When Mordo and Stephen looked at each other again, they looked equal amounts confused and tired. The two women were not acting as if they'd just fought to the near-death. The Ancient One glanced over her shoulder at them.

"Gentlemen, if you don't mind?" she nodded to the door gently.

"Of course, Ancient One," Mordo bowed his head.

"Yeah..." Stephen nodded, then gave Hazel a wide-eyed look. The girl glared back.

Once the door was shut again, the Ancient One turned back to Hazel and handed her a cup of tea. Hazel accepted it, but didn't drink. The cat purred quietly as it flopped on the bed beside her.

"You should drink," the Ancient One insisted. "You need to regain your strength. How are you feeling?"

Hazel stared at her reflection in the tea.

"Why didn't you kill me?" she asked.

"Because I didn't want to."

Hazel raised her head slowly. "Are you going to kick me out?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to."

Hazel set the cup down on the tray. Golden eyes held grey ones.

"Hazel, if you truly-"

" _Daargein ni vodah tol_ ," Hazel finally spoke. _I didn't forget anything._ "Tell me the truth."

The woman waited another moment as she collected her thoughts once again. She'd considered what she'd say several times already, so why was it so hard to speak now? Finally, slowly, she raised two fingers of her left hand, conjuring a temporary barrier that pervaded every corner and sealed every crack leading in or out of the room. Hazel recoiled, as if to flee. Even in her state, Hazel still feared death.

"I wanted to make sure we aren't heard," the Ancient One explained. "A few others in my order might not like my answer."

"Yes," Hazel's voice was still a bit strained. "As far as they're concerned, I'm no better than Kaecilius and his Zealots. Worse, maybe, since I pursued you like that..."

She looked down. It felt wrong not apologizing for her behavior, but it also felt wrong to apologize at all.

"They simply don't understand the ways of... things like us," the Ancient One sounded forgiving, at least. "I'm far beyond you in years and experience, but you know very old magic. Speaking dragontongue, for one, and maintaining the aftereffects for another. The way you can hear and feel everything around you in a way others in my order can't. That magic, that simple, powerful force, was forgotten by the Masters of the Mystic Arts centuries ago. I didn't really mind you challenging me, if it was to verify my station as your master."

"Don't say it like that!" Hazel squawked, momentarily forgetting that they couldn't be heard by soul nor grain of wood in the walls and floor. The Ancient One spared her a brief grin, then resumed staring moodily at the floor. "You proved yourself, but that doesn't explain why you spared me."

"You know I never promised to vanquish your demon," the Ancient One said. "We'll sort this out, Hazel, just give it time."

"Hey," Hazel snapped. She gave the elder a meaningful look.

"In truth..." the woman sighed and leaned back to stare at the ceiling. Fidgeting, how unlike her, in the best circumstances. She rethought what she was about to say, then rethought it again. Then she considered how Hazel had spoken to her during their duel.

_Kill me, why won't you kill me? You're too weak. She's weak. She lied to me. She couldn't protect me. Does it hurt her that I was drawn away from her?_

Yes. Only ever. Always. The Ancient One grieved for all her students lost, be it to death or deceptions, but there was something about Hazel that compelled a deeper need-a _paar_ , in dragontongue, a craving, an ambition-to keep her. Why? Why did the Ancient One spare Hazel so many times?

_Because I want you to stay by my side._

"Because," the Ancient One admitted so quietly that Hazel had to strain to hear her. "It's selfish, but... It's been so long since I've seen anything like you. You're rare, and I have you now. I hate the thought of losing anyone, but you'd think... that after so long, I would've gotten used to it by now."

Hazel raised her head. Her expression changed to one of understanding, confusion, and her own kind of melancholy pain. She knew the Ancient One didn't speak only of the rarity in Hazel's abilities. She was a bit confused, truth be told, after how the Ancient One had spoken to her during their fight. She was right; Hazel didn't know her at all.

"Oh."

Finally, the Ancient One looked back at Hazel and smiled earnestly for the first time. She felt light, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Tell me why you didn't fight me seriously," she requested.

"What?"

"You could've fought even more fiercely than you did, as if you truly wanted to best me, but you didn't, did you?"

"I did," Hazel glanced away. She hadn't done her fair share of lying yet. But as Hazel took a quick, absentminded sip of the tea she'd been given, the Ancient One got her answer, and it made her smile again. Hazel felt her cheeks burn and tried to school her face into a neutral expression, but she looked more like a guilty dog averting its eyes from torn furniture.

"If it makes you feel better," the Ancient One sipped at her own cup of tea. "I held back as well."

"No, it certainly does _not_ make me feel better!" Hazel snapped. She sat back against the wall again, scrutinizing the elder. "I couldn't be contained for no good reason. If I was truly no safer here than elsewhere, I have no reason to stay here. My peers alienate me, some masters don't know what to do with me, and don't even get me started on the no-pets rule here."

The cat lifted its head out of Hazel's reach stubbornly.

The Ancient One listened patiently as she poured cream into a small saucer. "Yet you hesitated during our spar."

Hazel blinked and glanced away again. "Well, yeah. It was you. You know that."

The Ancient One set the saucer down for the cat and scratched behind his ears, happy to hear that.

"Will you trust me again?"

" _Hi unslaad daal?_ " (Depends. Will you stop avoiding me?)

The Ancient One raised her eyebrows at Hazel, surprised. "Excuse me?"

Hazel looked abruptly at her hands. She was shaking. She didn't know what had come over her when she blurted that out, so she stayed quiet, wishing she could bring the words back in and contain them. The Ancient One shifted, fully facing Hazel, slouching slightly to get a better look at the girl, her expression soft and inquisitive.

"Please?" Hazel begged. She was lonely. "I want to know you, and in return, I will never stray from you, _Geinthuriin._ "

How childish and impossible. Perhaps she was _too_ genuine to come to this. The Ancient One averted her gaze dismissively, but stopped herself. What was it but loneliness that brought Hazel into her favor? Still, she couldn't just...

A hand, warm and petite, took her pale one. She felt weak with longing, for a moment.

"I don't see why not," she murmured, running her thumb in circles on the back of Hazel's hand.

The girl beamed.

"Don't do anymore dumb stuff," the Ancient One warned. "And don't think this means you'll be getting out of punishment later."

"Of course," Hazel muttered with a smirk. She lied down again and rolled onto her stomach. "Ugh. Why must you do this to me."

"I never want to hurt you," the Ancient One implored.

"Well, you're doing a great job so far," she indicated her injured body. The woman grimaced, but Hazel laughed. Then she released a lungful of air, her entire body sinking as if weighed down by the gravity of the simple statement. Then the Ancient One, very slowly, extended a hand to tentatively brush between Hazel's shoulder blades. The girl melted again, her heavy eyes sliding shut as she uttered a sleepy, content sigh.

They remained like that until Hazel fell asleep. The Ancient One longed to stay by Hazel's side as she'd requested, but unfortunately, she had an order of disgruntled masters to reassure. She waited as long as she could, then got to her feet. Before she left, she locked eyes with the cat.

"Watch over her," the Ancient One ordered. The cat blinked slowly and nodded, crawling closer to Hazel's limp body and curling up by her chest to stand guard. The Ancient One smiled faintly, then turned to leave, releasing the sound barrier as she cross over the threshold again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ataashii - the highest in an order, such as president of a company, Sorcerer Supreme, or God.  
> Geinthuriin-One true master. Okay, moving on!  
> I listened to the song "The Gods Duel" by Derek Zhao while writing the fight. It's a great song, and it really inspired the mood of the scene. I really liked using the duel scene to explore Hazel's fighting style and all the powers she has at her disposal at the moment. There's common Eldritch manipulation, of course, but she also has the ability to shapeshift, summon spirits, and wield a bit of dragon magic (ooOoo, exciting!). I'm also trying to illustrate that whilst her magic is different, she's not necessarily more powerful than a traditional sorcerer.  
> Also, I have no idea how to tag these new developments.


	12. In Which the Main Patron's Mother's Brother Pays a Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THOR.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make a shorter chapter (just under 5,000 words) to kind of take a break.

**Know Thyself**

Hazel stayed in the healer's ward for a day and a night. Her wounds were slow to heal compared to what she was used to, but she took the time she had to herself studying and reading. It was nice not having to worry about painting a Guest or cleaning a courtyard. The cat kept her company and eagerly listened whenever Hazel read out loud.

They were currently in the middle of a gorgeous book about a rare, ancient, beautiful creature who never failed to be better than everyone else around her. Hazel read emphatically about this creature, and the cat sometimes considered, with amusement and regret, that Hazel thought of the Ancient One when reading.

" _I never really understood what you dream of doing with me, once you've caught me,"_ Hazel read. " _She slipped away from him like rain. 'I don't think you know yourselves.'"_

Hazel let the book lie open in her lap as she spent the next few moments staring at nothing. She gave a heavy sigh.

"Are you sure we should let that girl return to class?" Master Junzo asked as he and Mordo patrolled the halls.

"The Ancient One made her decision," Mordo nodded. "Hazel was willing to accept guidance and return to the rightful path, and the Ancient One was glad for that. Don't take that away from her."

"I never relish the loss of a student," Master Junzo sighed. "To darkness or otherwise. Still, to think the Ancient One would regard Hazel so highly after what happened..."

"How so?" Mordo raised an eyebrow.

The two men hesitated at the open doorway to the Ancient One's study when they heard voices within. Peering around the corner calmly, they saw the Ancient One and Hazel sitting across from each other. The Ancient One was holding a book open facing Hazel and pointing at different figures on the page.

"When your spells are sealed, your energy isn't really taken away from you; it's simply dormant," the Ancient One was explaining. "Imagine it being contained within you in a box."

"And to access my magic again, I just have to open it?" Hazel asked with raised eyebrows. The Ancient One nodded. "Is that how you do it?"

The Ancient One merely chuckled and set the book aside. Mordo watched on with wide eyes.

"She's teaching Hazel how to cast around seals," Master Junzo explained monotonously as he and Mordo continued down the hallway. Mordo quickly composed himself.

"Of course. That was the plan all along; with her situation, Hazel would need to learn how to overcome a seal before she leaves in the fall."

Master Junzo didn't look convinced. " _But_ had it not been for her inability to cast around a seal, I'm afraid their little scrape would have gotten out of hand."

Mordo smirked. "You don't honestly believe Hazel could have _bested_ the Sorcerer Supreme."

"She was injured," Junzo replied firmly. "Kai tried keeping it from me. The Ancient One sealed Hazel's magic because she had to for her own sake."

"Even so," Mordo dismissed. "That should give you even more faith in Hazel's loyalty. After all, the Ancient One wouldn't continue to teach her if she was a threat."

Master Junzo sighed.

Mordo was never one to question the Ancient One, but this didn't feel like punishment.

Once Hazel was in recovery, the masters understandably demanded she be punished for her transgression before being allowed to continue her studies at Kamar-Taj. Of course they wouldn't expell Hazel if the Ancient One had forgiven her; the Ancient One's words still stuck with them. Hazel couldn't even leave Kamar-Taj because of her situation, but that didn't mean she was getting off Scott-free.

After negotiating, the masters and the Ancient One decided that on top of a confiscated sling ring, Hazel would now spend her free time in the daylight hours helping the masters. Of course, if this punishment were given to any other student, a lesson would be effectively learned, but Hazel always loved having excuses to help others or be around the Ancient One. Wasn't this situation a win-win for her? When Hazel wasn't brewing tea, fetching books, cooking, or cleaning, she got to follow the Ancient One around like a gleeful duckling.

However, after a couple days of this, Hazel and the masters alike realized the true nature of this punishment. Since she was no longer allowed free time, Hazel didn't have even a moment with her peers, let alone her Guests. And since she was constantly on her feet running errands, she was exhausted and had no choice but to sleep at night. It was a horrible consequence for her actions, but Hazel accepted it with boiling chagrin and submission.

Of course, in the long run, Hazel's punishment was more of a protective measure than anything else. The Ancient One knew that it was only a matter of time before Hazel's peers found out what happened, and when they did know, things would become irrevocably worse.

When Hazel was allowed to return to classes a couple days after her admission to the healer's ward, she expected to be met with waves of questions from her peers. Rei and the others had worried over her, but luckily, Stephen hadn't told anyone what he saw during Hazel's time at the healer's ward.

"We were really worried when you were gone for two days," Reiko fretted as the acolytes enjoyed their dinner after a long day of training. "What happened? Stephen told us you were really hurt."

Hazel shrugged and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. I just fell down the stairs and hit my head; it's no big deal."

"You have to be more careful," Tara scolded her lightly. "I can't _believe_ what all the masters are making you do now, _just_ after you got out of the healer's ward."

"Haha, yeah..." Hazel glanced at the ground awkwardly.

After dinner, Stephen and Hazel parted from the rest of the group to head to the study for a bit of a catch-up session in Hazel's lessons. Hazel was an almost melancholy sort of quiet as they went.

"Sometimes I forget the others don't know why I'm here," Hazel whispered.

"It's probably for the best," Stephen offered. He knew how keeping secrets could isolate a person.

"Yeah," Hazel gave a long sigh and stretched her arms above her head. "I'm exhausted. I've hardly slept, and I have to help Master Junzo with whatever tasks he gives me-I swear he's enjoying this too much. _And_ I'm behind in all my lessons..."

Stephen didn't envy the girl, but he waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. He'll let up soon enough. Plus, in a couple more days, you'll catch up in your classes. It'll be easy for you."

"Thanks," Hazel smiled, then her gaze drifted. Her face lit up when she found something she'd been looking forward to seeing.

" _Giin_!" she chirped happily as the Ancient One herself stepped around the corner.

The Sorcerer Supreme didn't seem to mind being called away from whatever she was doing. Actually, she seemed please to see Hazel. In truth, she was thrilled at how Hazel addressed her.

" _Grind-tah,"_ she greeted.

" _Paaz Shul Grind_ ," Hazel recited, bowing her head politely.

The elder smiled, but her tone was a bit incredulous and scolding. " _Hi tin daargein 'Giin,' aan hi grind 'Paaz Shul Grind'? 'Grind-tah' los briit._ "

" _H-hi los..."_ Hazel seemed a bit flustered, but quickly recovered and uttered a reply. " _Hi los Shul, daargiin paarlaan. Mindoran...?_ "

" _Daar los?_ "

Stephen watched the exchange with a complacent expression. What the hell did _Giin_ mean?

Neither the students nor the masters understood the tongue they now used with each other so often. However, those who cared to pay attention noticed a few trending words, mainly " _Haalaan_ " and " _Giin_." Judging by how the Ancient One would now absentmindedly refer to Hazel as _Haalaan_ in conversation, they decided it was an affectionate nickname for the girl. What it meant, no one knew, not even Hazel, but no one questioned it. As for " _Giin_ ," however, Hazel's closest peers and the masters soon realized by observing the seemingly nonexistent context where Hazel continually used the word that she was using it to refer to the Ancient One. Reactions to this fact ranged from confused to appalled. All the students were taught-no, _compelled_ -to use the upmost respect when regarding the Ancient One, and they only used honorifics when addressing her directly. Even the masters who regarded the Ancient One with familiarity kept their distance, yet this _girl_ was using a single _syllable_.

The Ancient One reassured any brave enough to ask her that Hazel was being as respectful as possible when speaking in dragontongue, and that no one needed to scold Hazel or confront her about it. There was something about how she explained it, though... What was Hazel Grace thinking? She couldn't just...

Yet she did. Ever since their altercation, Hazel saw the Ancient One so much more often, and each time they saw each other, they smiled or glanced at each other. It was subtle, but more fulfilling that Hazel could have imagined. Had the Ancient One truly forgiven Hazel for challenging her? Hazel couldn't get over what the elder had said in the healer's ward. _I didn't mind you challenging me._ Hazel felt something not at all like pride, something thrilling. In light of her bleak situation, Hazel would relive her suffering years just so she could have the Ancient One glance at her.

Today, after classes, the two (and the cat!) were in the Ancient One's rooms. The Sorcerer Supreme was reading through an old tome that Hazel had fetched for her, looking for more information about binding rituals similar to the _Tangahshii_ , whilst Hazel knelt on a carpet of newspapers, painting a firebird on a canvas. The cat loafed on one corner of the desk, watching the both of them between dozing.

"It's a shame you'll have to burn it."

Hazel shrugged as the Ancient One watched her paint. "It's the way to give it to the firebird. I owe him for the safehouse incident, after all. Besides, maybe, if I gain favor from enough Guests, they could help protect me until we find a way to fix this."

"That would be best," the Ancient One blinked lazily, then returned to reading. She'd been trying for weeks to find an alternate sacrifice in Hazel's place, but she couldn't find anything helpful yet harmless. She couldn't sacrifice another student or master, but even as she looked into the possible future, so far that seemed to be the only way...

"What's your favorite time of year?"

"Winter," the Ancient One replied easily without looking up from her book. "I like the snow."

"Oh?" Hazel abandoned her work to dry and inched closer to the table. She took another book off the stack on the table and flipped through a few pages. Helping, as she tried so often to do. Then she spoke again, and the questions continued. "What's your favorite food? Your favorite painting? Do you like the smell of old books?"

" _Wait._ " The Ancient One scolded her. "Where's all this coming from? And if you're finished painting, you should go see one of the other masters for a job to do."

Hazel looked down at the table and gathered her stuff. She was almost out the door when the Ancient One spoke after her. _Quit playing games._

"Let me ask you something." The elder's voice was calm and quiet. Hazel glanced over her shoulder with one hand on the doorway. "Tell me why you call me ' _Giin_ ,' yet you call the cat 'Ancient One.'"

"Because you respond when I call you _Giin_ ," Hazel smirked coyly. "It's your name to me. _Geinthuriin._ But that's such a dreadfully long name... like 'grandmother,' or 'Ancient One.'"

The Ancient One looked mildly, playfully affronted. Hazel continued.

"So I shortened it. And the cat only responds when I call him Ancient One, so I really have no choice."

"But you're confusing several acolytes when they hear you yelling at the cat to stop spilling tea and to get off the counter. They think I let you disrespect me, and they think I've gone completely mad."

"But they know better, deep down," Hazel hung her head to the side. "One more?"

"I don't see why not," the Ancient One smiled.

"If you could be any tree, what would you be?"

"... A willow," the Ancient One decided. "What tree would you be?"

"A hazel, of course," Hazel replied. "I'm here to commit acts of witchcraft, and I always know when it's going to rain."

"Mm." The Ancient One's gaze traveled to the window. "It would be nice if it rained, don't you think?"

Hazel followed the other's gaze to the clear skies outside. A moth on the windowsill crawled in the dust.

"I'll be right back," Hazel got to her feet, not seeing how the elder turned her head to watch her go with an intrigued look on her face.

**Raindance**

On the highest courtyard, a group of acolytes and a master or two saw Hazel carrying a bucket full of water to the center of the yard. Naturally, they all stopped to stare. In the time she'd been at Kamar-Taj, Hazel had made herself known as something of a magical sideshow. Now, the others stood by and watched, thinking to themselves, "Okay, what's she doing now?"

Hazel dumped the water on the ground before looking up at the sky and shouting.

"See?! It's not that hard!"

Then she walked off, taking the bucket with her. The students exchanged befuddled looks, but on the horizon, grey storm clouds were already brewing and drifting closer to Kamar-Taj.

By that evening, Kamar-Taj was soaked with rain. ( _Where did it come from? I don't know!_ ) Students took shelter from the rain in the dining hall at mealtime-all students but one. Of course Hazel would linger outside, enjoying the rain and catching raindrops in a silver chalice until she was scolded for it. When Master Tashi found her, he gave her an earful before ordering her to eat in the dining hall with the others before she got sick with the cold or flu. Hazel begrudgingly obeyed and resumed her spot at the table with her friends.

"Out doing a rain dance?" Liam had to tease her when she sat down with them.

"Yeah," Hazel sighed wistfully, sitting by him and tossing her hair over her shoulder to wring out on him. Liam burst out in nervous laughter and shuffled away. The scene began drawing attention from others in the dining hall before a powerful bolt of thunder shook the building, startling the inhabitants into silence. The resulting quiet allowed the diners to hear a ruckus raising in the courtyard—it sounded like a man was shouting.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect. Just take me to Hazel Grace and she'll tell you—"

Hazel got to her feet. "This again."

She moved back out to the courtyard where Mordo was attempting to deter the intruder, a man with flowing, blond hair and a bright smile on his face. When he caught sight of her, his face lit up even more.

"Here she is now."

"Hazel, what's this?" Mordo raised his eyebrows. "You know Thor Odinson personally?"

"Of course," Hazel nodded. "He's been a contact of mine for years, although I don't know why he came here of all places looking for me tonight."

She gave the demigod an expectant look, and Thor quickly explained.

"You called me," he replied. "You asked for thunder and rain, so I give you thunder. That's how you always summon me, Hazel. You're usually in more emotional distress, though. Is everything alright? Is it something we need to speak about… privately?"

He glanced at the other man, but Hazel's face had already gone red.

"I-I didn't call you," she shook her head. "No, I'd only asked for rain this time, but I must've called you on accident. Force of habit." She bowed apologetically at the master. "I'm very sorry for the trouble. Can he stay, just for a bit? I'd feel rude to send him away without at least giving him dinner first."

Mordo glanced at Thor again, then looked back at Hazel. "The Ancient One has permitted you to invite your Guests to Kamar-Taj, as long as you're responsible for them. This should be no different."

"Thank you very much," Hazel straightened, then turned to her Guest. "You can stay for dinner. Two rules real quick; don't break anything and use your inside voice."

"Alright," he nodded, already using a quieter, calmer voice.

Thor sat with Hazel's usual dining company, since there was still enough room for the both of them and setting up a private room would be bothersome. Still, Hazel made an effort to isolate them by having him sit across from her and the two being at their own end of the table. Hazel spared an apologetic look to the others, but the acolytes didn't seem to mind in the slightest. A couple of them were staggered with awe at the Avenger they were sharing a table with, and the others just looked expectant for the following conversation they were sure to find amusing. Thor smiled at them before tucking into the food Hazel served him. He always ate what she provided with no complaint, but he valued her company more than any spread she could offer.

"So," he started. "When I heard you'd gone to Nepal for your vacation, this isn't quite what I had in mind."

Hazel ignored the foul looks from her tablemates.

"What do you mean?"

"You're a free spirit," he smiled at her. "What are you doing here at a boarding school? Look at you, you have a uniform-you eat with everyone else. What is it you do here, exactly?"

"Spiritual enlightenment," Hazel replied. "I think if I'm mindful, I can control the, uh... haunting issue we've been having lately."

"Ah, yes, heard about that," Thor nodded. "You're very gifted, Hazel. I'm sure you'll learn in no time."

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Stop it."

"So what are you learning here?"

"Meditation, history... combat," Hazel shrugged. "You know, the usual."

"Combat?" his eyes widened. "You? Really?"

"What do you mean 'really'?" Hazel lowered her chin and blushed, refusing to meet the amused expressions of her friends. "Of course. It's just for self-defense. I don't know what the big deal is."

"But when Romanoff offered to teach you self-defense, you wouldn't hear of it!"

"That's because Nat scares me," Hazel covered.

"Yes," Thor chuckled. "I do remember you saying something about how she intimidates you. How you would get flustered and flee whenever you saw her. But not because you feared her, but because-how did you put it? 'She's gorgeous. I'm but a flea in the presence of a god, I'm merely-'"

"Dude, keep your voice down!" Hazel shouted, slamming her hands on the table. Her face burned. She felt her onlookers staring, some chuckling, some just as mortified as she was. "What do the others do with you?"

"I think you should worry about yourself," he retorted. "I heard that you went up against the Ancient One."

Hazel glanced at the others in the cafeteria for a split second. Then she had no choice but to ignore the attentive silence from the others in the dining hall.

"Just a friendly spar," she dismissed. "She could totally kick my butt; it wasn't a real fight."

"Still, you didn't hold back," Thor pressed on with excitement and awe. "Summoning fifteen spectral wolves to fight with you? That's impressive; you've grown a lot stronger since I last saw you, as has the Ancient One."

"Yeah..." Hazel couldn't think. She couldn't think of anything to say.

People no longer watched her and Thor.

Hazel didn't let on to her distress while Thor was there. He could tell that something had upset her, but he didn't press her when she wasn't willing to talk about it. He figured she'd call him again if there was anything he could do. After dinner, Hazel escorted him to the courtyard, he told her to take care of herself, and he disappeared in his typical flashy fashion. Hazel allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief before going back inside.

When she made it to her wing of the dorms, she was intercepted by Reiko. The older acolyte looked troubled as she stood in front of Hazel's room waiting for her.

"Hey," Hazel greeted, a little uncertainly. Reiko pushed off the wall slowly. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah." Reiko didn't look at Hazel; she stared at the ground, arms folded almost dejectedly. Hazel watched her friend with concern. As a higher acolyte and the daughter of a master, Reiko was usually so dignified. Now she looked doubtful, wary... and more human than Hazel had ever expected her to be.

"Was it really a friendly spar?"

Hazel stiffened. "What?"

"You think I can't figure it out?" Reiko straightened and glared at the girl. "You challenged the Ancient One."

"I... well, you see," Hazel looked around and gave a breathy chuckle. She could brush this off. There's no way Reiko could prove-

"You ended up in the healer's ward after skipping class," Reiko recounted. "Then the masters have you doing all their errand work ever since? You're being punished. And now your guest says you summoned wolves to attack the Ancient One. Hazel, _what_ do you think you're doing?"

Hazel's voice was feeble when she finally came up with an answer. "It was a dragon thing..."

Reiko looked her up and down, as if trying to channel her father's gifts for detecting lies. After a moment, she looked away in defeat.

"I think... it's a good thing you don't have any free time to spend with us."

Hazel understood what she meant immediately. For the second time, she felt like she'd been slapped in the face.

"Okay..."

"I'll tell the others if you try anything." Reiko abruptly turned, heading to her own room and leaving Hazel standing stock-still and shocked in the middle of the corridor.

**A formal apology**

The next day, the Ancient One busied herself monitoring the wards and visiting the sanctums. Luckily, the sanctums and disciples were holding up and had little to report regarding Kaecilius and his Zealots. Oddly enough, things were quiet on all sides. The Masters of the Mystic Arts anticipated affronts any moment now; based on what Hazel had told them, Kaecilius had already reached out to the Dark Dimension. What were they waiting for? Perhaps there was something else keeping them at bay for now. Either way, the Ancient One tried to withhold her dread and savor the last moments of peace before the storm.

The sanctuary was quiet, but it was still a long day. The rain had passed, but clouds lingered until the sky was unpleasantly overcast. At the end of the day, the Ancient One was eager to eat dinner and retire for the evening. However, that evening, as she and the other masters gathered in their private dining room, it seemed the excitement of the day wasn't over yet.

They were all surprised to arrive to an already-set table and a rather indulgent spread of food. A couple pots of tea were set out alongside a pot of soup, fried rice, fried meat, rice balls, and a loaf of freshly-baked bread. The cooks would never prepare a meal like this for the masters; most meals consisted of plain rice and vegetables, and maybe meat on special occasions. Of course, who else would they find responsible but Hazel Grace, who was kneeling by the table and arranging a final place setting. The girl startled to her feet when she noticed her company and remained completely silent until someone else spoke.

The Ancient One knew what she was doing. "What is all this, _Haalaan_?"

" _Haal_...?" Hazel was quick to recover from her confusion. She shook her head and bowed. "It's a formal apology. I'm very sorry for challenging you earlier. And summoning Thor on accident. I wanted to make it up to you, and I'm serving the masters anyway, so..."

The Ancient One didn't know what to say. She'd already forgiven Hazel for her transgressions, and the scene with Thor wasn't that big of a deal, yet here the girl was doing lavish things to make up for it. Or perhaps she was trying to curry favor... but what for?

"Is this chicken real?" Master Junzo asked. The other masters had tentatively moved to stand around the table. They didn't dare touch the food yet; they weren't sure they were allowed.

"What do I look like?" Hazel asked. " _And_ it's from my uncle's ranch back home, so don't start needling me about hormones and cannibalism and all that nonsense."

Mordo peered at the Ancient One. "This was... very thoughtful."

He was asking permission. The food looked divine.

"It was," the Ancient One agreed, then knelt at her usual spot at the table. "Thank you for the meal, Hazel."

The masters followed suit and began serving themselves from the platters and dishes on the table. As Hazel gave a weighted sigh of relief, her face became oddly fond as she watched them for a moment. But then she bowed her head and turned to leave when she was stopped.

"Why doesn't Hazel join us?" Wong offered. "It would be a shame if she didn't get to enjoy any of the food she prepared."

"I don't see why not," the Ancient One smiled. She was pleasantly surprised that no one objected. Then again, more than one of the masters were aware that Hazel had nowhere to sit amongst her peers anymore. Thor's accomplishment alienating Hazel was as successful as it was accidental. How was he supposed to know to keep Hazel and the Ancient One's affairs private?

Hazel happily sat where they made room for her.

"I must admit I never took you for a cook," Mordo said. The food tasted as good as it looked. The fried batter on the fish and chicken was light and flaky, and the soup was rather plain, but hot and satisfying all the same.

"Neither did I," Hazel shrugged. "But when the cooks asked me to help them today and I found out how they were feeding you, I thought I'd just pretend it was a special occassion for once."

"For once," Master Tashi echoed plainly.

"Hey," Hazel snapped.

And they continued chatting. The Ancient One remained silent as always, observing. She considered that if anything, the food wasn't poisoned, but imbued with honesty and love. Surely Hazel was pleased with the effects. She was making a home and a family for herself wherever she could. ~~_I get fond of the people I cook for._~~

The Ancient One was brought out of her thoughts when a warm, shy hand pressed against her wrist. Hazel stared at her gently and earnestly.

" _Koga diin unslaad daal_ ," she whispered. ( _Thanks for letting me stay._ )

The Ancient One smiled warmly in return. "Of course, _Haalaan_."

Master Junzo stared at his food. "If I didn't know any better, Master, I'd think you favored the girl."

The Ancient One raised her eyebrows at him. She knew he didn't mean any harm; he was just teasing Hazel. She considered what she should say to that- _if_ she should say anything at all-but Hazel beat her to it with quite possibly the worst response anyone could come up with.

"Of course she likes me," Hazel stood on her knees to reach across the table. "Because I'm good at helping people. And being an ass."

The Sorcerer Supreme all but dropped her knife and fork as she shot Hazel a sharp look. " _Oblaan, Haalaan._ "

Hazel gave the other a wide-eyed look. "Like the _movie_ , _Giin_ , don't you remember? You compared me to a donkey."

The woman struggled to come up with something to say, a way to explain herself to her company that was equally amused and terrified. _It's not what it sounds like_.

"Well, you didn't have to _say it_ like that," the Ancient One finally reasoned, regaining her composure.

"Oh, come on," Hazel grinned. "Don't you have any more to say than that?"

" _Nii yah_ ," the other replied calmly. " _Drem. Naak._ " ( _Not here. Be peaceful. Eat._ )

Hazel snorted quietly, then settled down as she was told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cut a few lines where the Ancient One was relating parts of the Zealot issue back to Hazel. The interaction did make sense since Hazel was, at one point, involved, but it felt kind of like the Ancient One was obsessively pulling Hazel into everything. I want to be sure to show the Ancient One still has a life outside of Hazel.
> 
> Also, the book Hazel is reading at the beginning of the chapter is The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.
> 
> Dragontongue Stuff~  
> In the first interaction, Hazel and the Ancient One are basically just greeting each other and talking about the different kinds of dragontongue greeting. (The Ancient One actually asks why Hazel can call her something as casual as "Giin," but still greet her with "Paaz-Shul-Grind" which is the most proper greeting usually given to a king or something.)  
> When the Ancient One scolds Hazel, the word she uses is Oblaan, (literally "End"), but because of the context, it could either mean "stop," OR it could mean "die." And I'll leave the answer up to your imagination.


	13. A Promise of Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unwelcome and unexpected visitors alike knocking on the sanctuary door.

**Isolated**

After a few days, Hazel settled into a pattern. The Ancient One wasn't the only one who spoke more comfortably with her now. Actually, most of the resident masters at Kamar-Taj seemed to address her by her first name. However, regarding Hazel's relationship to her peers, all the masters became acutely aware of Hazel closing herself off. She trained alone or with Mordo. In class, if she was ever asked to pair up with someone, she'd summon a specter or the cat would show up as her partner. She continued to cook for and dine with the masters, and after a time, only at mealtimes, they would speak casually and interact with her as if she was a stranger or visiting friend and not a student.

Had the other acolytes truly rejected her after hearing she attacked the Ancient One? Actually, it was understandable, almost justifiable, after all Hazel had done. Hazel had always been a character other students had struggled to associate with as a result of her questionable habits. Not only that, but there was also a mystery around Hazel. Why was she here, what could she see that no one else did, and why did she look so fatigued all the time? The other students were too perturbed to look for answers.

Perhaps this is why her peers shunned her, but regardless, without total and unconditional support from the masters-something still unattainable right now, even with the recent boost in their affinity towards her-Hazel fell farther and farther into despair. She rarely slept through the night anymore, and when she did so, she was plagued with nightmares and sleep paralysis-induced hallucinations, and with every passing night, Hazel felt a call from another world grow stronger and stronger.

It made sense, really. After all, before coming to Kamar-Taj, Hazel credited her Main Guest's strength to the effects of social isolation.

 

**Bruises**

Hazel was alone in the moonlit courtyard until she wasn't. She lied on the wall and stared at the sky until she saw a flash of yellow in the corner of her eye.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Hazel smirked. The Ancient One sat on the wall by Hazel's head and patted her lap invitingly. Hazel's grin widened and she wriggled to put her head in the other's lap. She stared straight ahead and sighed contently as she felt the woman's soft hands brushing back and forth over Hazel's back. The half-moon was sinking over the edge of the city.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Hazel murmured. "I've always been more of a moon person, even if my birth card is the sun. What about you?"

The Ancient One didn't answer. She didn't so much as sigh. Hazel felt a dawning of unease creeping in her bones.

"You're a high priestess, right?" Hazel asked. No answer. "I'm only kidding. You just seem very... ethereal, I guess?"

Silence. Hazel tensed.

"I think I should go back to bed," she tried to squirm upright, but two clammy, bony hands gripped her shoulders. Hazel's breath caught. The voice that spoke was thin and reedy. A pathetic impression.

"But you aren't awake yet."

 

Stephen Strange headed towards the Ancient One's rooms after breakfast. Whatever she'd have need of him for this early in the day, he couldn't say, but if this was about conjuring portals in the library again, he'd...

He knocked softly on the wooden frame of the paper door and slid it open before he was bidden inside.

"You sent for... me...?"

Stephen froze in the doorway as he took in the scene before him. The Ancient One knelt on the ground beside Hazel. The girl was curled up on her side with her back facing the doorway. Her robe was open and gathered down to her hips, leaving her upper body exposed. Bruises of reddish-violet danced on her back as her shoulders shook with sobs. Hazel raised her head and peered over her shoulder and around her tangle of black hair at him. Her face was bloody. Stephen felt his face go cold, pale from horror and nausea, but he couldn't look away from this nightmarish scene. The Ancient One gave him a half-fatigued, half-annoyed look.

"What is it?" she demanded, quickly covering Hazel with a blanket and standing in front of the girl.

"What the hell happened?" Stephen's eyes were glued to Hazel until the Sorcerer Supreme guided him out into the hallway. She slid the door closed behind them, isolating Hazel.

"I told the other masters I wasn't to be disturbed unless it was important." The Ancient One's voice was low as she repeated her question. " _What is it?_ "

"You sent for me!" Stephen snapped. "Some kid novice told me you were looking for me."

"I never asked for you."

They stared at each other for a moment, as if debating delving into an argument that would have no point or resolution. Stephen couldn't get the image of Hazel's injuries out of his head. Sure, he'd seen worse in his past, but all those people were his patients that he could fix, and they were all victims of identifiable, _worldly_ events. From the moment he saw her injuries, Stephen Strange knew that Hazel's Guests had done that to her.

"What happened?" he asked. "I thought you said her injuries healed when she woke up."

The Ancient One averted her gaze to the door frame. "That was true, at the time."

She didn't know what all she'd tell him just yet. Strange knew the entirety of Hazel's situation, just like the masters. However, the Ancient One wasn't sure how much Hazel would want to tell them about last night. The Ancient One thought Hazel had been astral projecting with Strange at night, but she must've been too tired for it of late... How many nights had Hazel been by herself?

Stephen's hands trembled with desperation for a change. He'd seen what Hazel's Guests were capable of, what they did to her at night... If they could do this to her, what was stopping them from doing so much worse?

"She told me she was getting better," he whispered.

Finally, the Ancient One looked at him.

"Hazel has started retaining damage from her dreams, which means her Guests are getting stronger. If this continues, they could take her away."

"How'd they find her?" Stephen asked.

"I don't know. It was only a matter of time, really, but... I think our careless disagreement might have had something to do with it."

Stephen closed his eyes and turned away from her, running his hands through his hair. "I can't believe this. Well, what happens now?"

"I don't know-"

"You mean to tell me that all her hard work was a waste? After all we've done-after all she's been through?"

"Hazel's life isn't a waste yet," the Ancient One shook her head. "She's stronger than before; she still has a chance. I just need to do more research, then we'll..."

Stephen waited for an answer and took a breath. He was calm again when he regarded her.

"Tell me what I can do to help," he said. "If there's something I could do-anything I could research for you-I want to help."

The Ancient One stared at him searchingly for a moment. She didn't want to tell him that she was researching... unconventional methods. Then again, if anyone would be willing to research binding magic and find possible loopholes, it would be Stephen Strange.

"Let me take care of Hazel first, alone," she said. "I'll send for you later."

 

The Ancient One tended to Hazel personally. There was little she could do to heal Hazel's admittedly minor wounds, but she still stayed with Hazel and stroked her back and hair for comfort if nothing else. Hazel stopped crying, but that was more from fatigue than comfort. Still, the Ancient One took it as a good sign.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked softly.

Hazel shrugged. At least she could.

"I'm sorry this happened," the Ancient One felt compelled to apologize. "Since this happened while you were dreaming, there was no breach in the barrier for anyone to find. We didn't know you were attacked."

Hazel rolled on her back and stared at her, searching her features. She tentatively reached a hand up to cradle the Ancient One's jaw. She scrutinized the elder's eyes until she was sure. Of course her mind doubted, but her heart knew. It always knew. _The first time I saw one, I thought I'd die._

"What's troubling you?" the Ancient One asked, holding Hazel's wrist reassuringly. Hazel sat up. "Can you remember what happened?"

Hazel sighed and took a cup of water from the table beside them.

"...It looked like you," she admitted.

" _What_?" the Ancient One was speechless.

"I-I only saw it out of the corner of my eye, but..." Hazel sighed. "You know how... you never really forget a face, so all the faces in your dreams are actual people that you've seen before?"

"You think the Guests are using my image to get to you," the Ancient One murmured. "That's still ambitious of them."

"Yes, I know," Hazel nodded. "And it couldn't fool me for very long. I was just careless, and I should've just kept my mouth shut. But they know me, and the more they learn about me, the harder it will be to get rid of them."

"What did you tell them?" the Ancient One demanded. She knew the power of true identities. Knowing someone's true name, age-anything, really, these days-could give one the power to harm.

"My birth card," Hazel admitted.

" _Hazel_ ," the Ancient One scolded.

"I didn't know!" the girl recoiled. The Ancient One's shoulders sagged. It wasn't the worst thing Hazel could've given away, but it was still careless.

"You need to be more careful," she murmured, touching Hazel's shoulder gingerly.

"I won't let it happen again," Hazel muttered.

The Ancient One never said so, and she prayed she didn't betray this, but she was very afraid.

"Actually, I want to propose something," she drew her hand away. Hazel looked back. The Ancient One had a white ribbon in her hand.

"What's that?" Hazel blinked. "Oh. A bindchain spell?"

"Yes," the Ancient One admitted quietly. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to share this with me for a while. It'll help us keep track of each other. If you do, it's temporary, I assure you; the minute you don't like it, you can simply take off the ribbon and the spell would be removed with it."

Hazel glanced at the ribbon for another moment before nodding with a shrug. "I don't see why not."

Together, the two of them cut the ribbon in half. Hazel offered her wrist, letting the Ancient One tie one half of the ribbon there. Then the elder offered her own left hand for Hazel to tie the remaining ribbon there.

"Binding magic is pretty intimate stuff," Hazel said. She was surprised the Ancient One would ever offer to do this.

"This is temporary and a fairly weak spell. Still, I don't usually practice binding magic; I would appreciate it if you kept this between us."

" _Mindoran_ ," Hazel nodded. "I appreciate this, _Giin_. I know you're risking a lot by helping me like this."

The Ancient One thoughtfully watched Hazel tying the chain in place. "It's the only way right now. Since you're too tired to astral project regularly, you can barely manage yourself as it is. I've tried keeping you occupied with the other masters, but I see that wasn't a suitable solution."

"It's better than nothing," Hazel shook her head and spoke emphatically. "I'm growing on them. Soon, I'll gain their favor and go crying to one of them if something happens again."

"I wish it won't come to that. Don't loose heart yet," the Ancient One said, running her hand through Hazel's unkempt hair. She struggled to draw her hand away politely without implying complete revulsion. "How long has it been since you've washed your hair?"

"Uh... couple days."

 

Once classes started, Hazel did her best to forget the events of the morning. She was more attentive in class than she had been in a while. However, during combat training, Hazel fell behind from physical and mental lethargy. And her sparring partner Reiko was uncharacteristically indifferent.

Hazel remained doubled over after Reiko kicked her in the ribs. Reiko didn't know that Hazel was injured, of course, but Hazel wasn't entirely sure Reiko would have acted more carefully if she did know. Hazel clenched her teeth and stared at the ground through her tears, trying to outlast the throbbing ache in her side. She was afraid to continue training, but if she didn't get up soon, Reiko would realize something was up. But if Hazel _did_ get up and Reiko saw her crying-

"That's enough," the Ancient One interjected. "Hazel, I need you inside, please."

Hazel exchanged a quick bow with Reiko before heading inside. The Ancient One and Hazel walked side by side in silence until they were alone.

"Sorry," Hazel apologized. "I felt like if I didn't train, the others would get suspicious."

"I understand," the Ancient One didn't look at her. "But remember, I can feel that, too. Try to exercise self-preservation, for my sake."

"Right, sorry," Hazel winced. The Ancient One led her around a corner and to a small alcove out of sight.

"Come here," she murmured, tugging Hazel close and pressing her hand against Hazel's injured side. Hazel let her head back to rest against the wall and closed her eyes. "That helps, doesn't it?"

Hazel sighed in defeat and straightened up. "Nothing helps, _Giin_. You don't have to try so hard, you know."

"I'm sorry?"

"To hide," Hazel clarified, peering around the corner of the alcove. "The more you do, the more attention you'll attract. Look at that."

The Ancient One followed her gaze to a pair of novices that had stopped to stare at them in the alcove. Once they realized they'd been found out, they scrambled down the hallway, of course. The Ancient One told herself it didn't matter; whatever they saw, they wouldn't interpret right. Besides, it wasn't like they could gossip about the Ancient One and get very far anyway.

"You'll have to show me how you do it later," she said. "But for now, we both have appearances to uphold."

Mordo and Master Tashi had just left their respective classes and were heading to the dining room together when they caught a glimpse of Hazel and the Ancient One sparring in the highest courtyard. Mordo saw them first as he walked past an open window, and it made him falter and stare.

"What are they doing now?" he asked quietly. He thought they'd settled their differences already-and even if they didn't, he thought Hazel had learned not to fight with the Sorcerer Supreme. However, not a moment later, Hazel stumbled to the ground and the Ancient One straightened. They both laughed. They were training.

"I didn't know the Ancient One wanted to train Hazel privately," Master Tashi said diplomatically as he peered into the courtyard alongside Mordo.

"Neither did I," Mordo muttered, watching the two sorceresses resume training. "Hazel's doing... surprisingly well, actually."

"Well," Tashi tilted his head. "I don't think they're trying to hit each other."

Mordo raised a brow.

"You probably can't sense it," Tashi gestured to the match. "But they're moving together, with each other. I can sense how their mystic signatures... Oh, nevermind. Who knows? Perhaps they're just perfecting a secret handshake."

Mordo wanted the other to explain further, maybe give more insight on how and why the Ancient One and Hazel were doing this, but he decided against it. Outside the classroom, Master Tashi really wasn't good at explaining much. So, they continued walking in silence.

Needless to say, Master Junzo nearly had a stroke when he saw Hazel Grace and the Sorcerer Supreme throwing hands in the higher courtyard.

 

**Call**

Hazel was grateful for her punishment in the long run. Keeping herself busy was hard to do on her own time. After realizing the finality and the gravity of the situation, Hazel had gotten a bit lazy, and maybe a little depressed. If she was left to her own vices, one could find her curled up in a corner sulking somewhere. With her and the Ancient One bound as they were, the Sorcerer Supreme could tell when Hazel was in any danger and could protect her, but that only made Hazel feel worse. She was discouraged, surely, and suffering for it.

"Look alive, acolyte," Master Tashi nagged as she fell behind him again. "We need to transfer all these supplies to the new classroom by sunset."

Hazel found herself standing still and looking out the window facing the overcast city.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I just feel like something's calling me outside again... Sorry."

"Just mind yourself," Tashi's tone softened considerably. "We all have our demons, and they all tempt us in their own ways. Maybe you should tend to the plants in the courtyards after this. I'm sure they'd appreciate it, and it would help get your mind off things."

"Hm," Hazel shrugged. She was usually so eager to interact with the plants, especially that peculiar blue tree. Tashi worried for them being neglected.

"Maybe you and the Ancient One could do something about this rain?" he offered. "I'm surprised we're not underwater by now..."

That made Hazel chuckle in agreement. Little did the two of them know that the Ancient One wasn't at the sanctuary this afternoon. She had matters elsewhere, namely investigating that compelling summons Hazel was feeling beyond the barrier.

 

**Jade**

Halfway across the world, Happy Hogan received an alert on his tablet. Peter Parker had left New York. Not only that, but said hero went from a back alley in Queens to the middle of Kathmandu, Nepal in an instant. Had he done something to the tracker in his suit again? It had to be a glitch of some kind.

Peter's phone buzzing in his pocket was the least of his worries. After taking a head wound that put him on the brink of unconsciousness and being thrown through a sparking portal to a rainy alleyway, he collapsed in a heap, defenseless, helpless, and full of regret.

In his defense, Peter Parker didn't know what he was up against. He didn't know chasing after a petty thief in a red robe would result in such a dire situation. He didn't know that he'd end up halfway across the world in a split second, injured, in the rain, and lost on the streets of Kathmandu.

He didn't know the bad guy was a sorcerer. Peter had done his best, but this time, that wasn't enough.

No one was coming to save him. Even with the million safety measures built into his suit, no one would be near enough to come to his rescue in time.

More red-clad wizards joined the first one.

"Where is she?" one demanded.

"She'll be here. Just wait."

Peter's eyelids were heavy. He stared ahead, his hope ebbing away with his consciousness until a flash of gold appeared before him. And that was the last thing he saw.

 

"Hazel, run a bath for him. Check the kitchens and see if there's any leftovers he could eat when he wakes up-and prepare some tea for him-"

"Holy _shit_ ," Hazel's voice was incredulous. It was as if she didn't hear her orders at all. "What's _he_ doing here?! How did he get here? Why did..."

 _Hazel?_ Was he home? Peter's eyelids were heavy. Who was there with them?

"May?" he croaked, forcing his eyes open. His hand shot up to shield his eyes from the flickering candlelight. No, this wasn't his room. As his eyes adjusted, he took in his surroundings. The room was spacious, if modest, and filled with cots and bed-side tables. In the dim light, the bare-brick walls could be seen clearly. A couple people moved about the room, but Peter's attention was quickly drawn to the two people standing at the foot of his cot-Hazel Grace and a middle-aged Asian woman he'd never seen before. The woman gave Hazel a baleful glance and left to tend to someone else, leaving Hazel to take care of the boy.

"Hazel?" he rasped, crawling upright. Memories of the last few hours came flooding back, and that feeling of dread settled in his stomach again. He began looking around again, blearily this time.

"What am I... where did you-where did..."

Hazel sat on the edge of the bed next to him and took his arm reassuringly. "Hey, hey. Take a breath. You're safe. We're going to sort through this."

Peter stared at the ground as he tried processing all that happened. When he finally looked at Hazel again, she'd released his arm and started preparing a cup of tea from the set on the bedside table.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Kathmandu," Hazel replied.

"What?"

"Yeah," Hazel handed him the cup of tea. "But I'll call Tony in a bit and see if someone can come pick you up."

"What do you mean Kathmandu?" Peter's hands were shaking.

"It's in Nepal," Hazel explained.

"I _know_ where Kathmandu is!"

Hazel took his arm again with an apologetic expression. How was she so calm at a time like this?

"Hazel, what's going on?" he asked. His voice nearly trembled. He savored the feeling of Hazel's thumb brushing over his wrist; he let it ground him as Hazel spoke.

"We're trying to figure that out," her voice was calm, but firm. She folded one leg up on the cot, turning her body to face him. "What do you remember?"

Peter's mouth started running a mile a minute. "Well, I was on on a field trip and I saw these weird guys robbing a museum, so I tried to stop them. But one of them-he grabbed me and pushed me though a portal and these other guys just came out of nowhere and started attacking me with these weird glowy things..."

"Sounds very scary," Hazel smiled, preparing another cup of tea and taking a sip.

"And then... I saw gold." Peter sighed. "I thought I was gonna die."

"Well, you're safe now." Hazel put an arm around him. He leaned on her shoulder. "Now I guess it's my turn."

Peter straightened up again and faced her, eager to hear her explanation for all this.

"I'm staying at this sanctuary to learn more about magic," Hazel began in a deadpan, leaving it up to Peter to emote his reaction. "Proper term is mystic arts here. And a few of the sorcerers-the bad guys-that used to learn here have gone rogue and started practicing forbidden magic. That's probably who you saw in New York, although why they were there to begin with, we have yet to figure out. Either way, they brought you to Kathmandu, and luckily, some of our sorcerers were able to rescue you and bring you here to recover. Now we just have to call Tony, and he'll probably be over to pick you up in the morning. Any questions."

Peter was staring at her, wide-eyed and bewildered. But he couldn't come up with a reasonable question to ask, so Hazel shrugged and got to her feet.

"Ready for a bath?" she asked.

 

While Peter was in the bath, the Ancient One found Hazel waiting near the bathroom. All the excitement Hazel had displayed in the healer's ward seemed to have been siphoned out of her, leaving her contemplative. She regarded the Ancient One with a serious glance.

"So?" she asked.

"I found him in the alley. He followed something through a portal to get here. I didn't see who, though; they fled as soon as they saw me. They looked like Zealots."

"What are they doing in New York?" Hazel demanded. "Peter made it sound like they were trying to rob the Sanctum there. Did you get a report from Master Drumm yet?"

"He saw the Zealots as well, but nothing was taken. I suppose your friend scared them off, but I couldn't tell you how."

Hazel could've argued, but she was too exhausted for it.

The Ancient One appraised her. "What did you tell Mister Stark?"

"Nothing he didn't need to know," Hazel shook her head. "But I gave our AI a chance to synchronize so he could find the sanctuary. He'll be by to pick Peter up in the morning." Hazel glanced at the door of the bathhouse as she heard water begin to croak down the drain. "Well, it looks like we have more to do, then."

"Indeed."

 

After a bath and change of wardrobe, Peter was led through the corridors by Hazel. She brought him to the dining hall and picked up a couple trays of food. Peter trailed behind her, as captivated by the other students as they were of him. They stared mutually. Peter watched how these people of all different ages in weird robes behaved. Some conjured little illusions or practiced transmuting one thing into another, yet others watched videos on their cellphones or played games on the tables. This was a bastardization of his every expectation. He'd never imagined technology and magic living in harmony like this. Even when Hazel had shown him some of her basic spiritual work, she always got frustrated with modern technology-even a simple Google search could put her in a bad mood.

"Come on," Hazel urged, tapping his arm with her elbow. "We shouldn't stay here."

"Okay," he followed her diligently enough. Hazel led him out of the noisy dining hall around the quieter corridors and verandas to a quiet study where a couple other students sat far away from each other at a couple of the several tables in the room.

"Make a friend?" one of the students, an older man, looked up from his book and asked as they passed. He had a tray of food beside his open book; like Hazel, he seemed to prefer eating away from the chaotic dining hall. Peter kind of wondered if everyone had access to this privilege.

"Yeah, this is Peter Parker," Hazel introduced them. "He's my friend from back home. Peter, this my study buddy Doctor Stephen Strange."

"Nice to meet you," Peter offered a hand, but Hazel started pulling him along before Stephen had a chance to react to it. Still, Strange waved after them sheepishly, as if he didn't want to be rude.

Hazel coaxed Peter on, and they sat at a table a few feet away. Peter tucked into his food immediately, unaware until that point how hungry he'd gotten. However, once he was sated enough to slow down and reassess his surroundings, he caught Hazel watching him with a patient smile on her face.

"What?" he asked. She didn't answer him. She'd always been kind of reserved, but after a few months of knowing her, Peter realized it was because she cared about him. She argued on his behalf with anyone, and ensured-by her oddly effective acts of witchcraft-that he was safe.

"How are things in New York?" Hazel asked. "We don't talk anymore now that I'm here."

"Y-yeah, it's good," Peter nodded. "I'm taking some AP classes over the summer, so there's that-"

"Ew, why?" Hazel's nose wrinkled.

Peter shrugged. "Because it's fun. Other than that, I've had a lot of time to focus on this superhero stuff. I think I'm getting really good with the new suit and everything-you should see me sometime."

"If you still have the suit," Hazel raised her eyebrows and took a sip of her drink. Peter grimaced.

"Oh, yeah. Do you think Mister Stark will take it away again? I mean, I didn't know that guy was some crazy wizard person, I-I was just doing my job, you know?"

Hazel smiled again. "Actually, I think once I talk to him, Tony will blame me. It's kind of my fault you ended up here."

"Wait, what?"

"Think about it. Those sorcerers went rogue against the Ancient One herself. They had no business in New York. And they take one of _my_ friends and place him as bait right outside the sanctuary?"

"Oh," Peter breathed. He appreciated her simple version of everything that was going on, but that didn't come close to answering all his following questions. "Are they after you or something?"

"Something like that," Hazel leaned back and stared at the ceiling. She really didn't want to talk about it. Wait, actually, yes she did, and she didn't want to pester the masters or clue in her peers about it. This was her chance to vent.

Hazel swung forward again. "You remember that dumb supper you and I did over spring break?"

"Yeah." How could he forget? It was one of the most terrifying, thrilling experiences of his life. "When the ghosts and stuff that came in the appartment."

Hazel nodded. "Well, Tony insisted I come here to get that kind of thing under control. I've learned a lot since coming here, and I learned something that I already knew; I can't get rid of those things for good no matter what I do. So, I've been learning different mystical affects so I can control it."

"Okay," Peter nodded. It made sense. "So, wait, are you learning how to brew potions and stuff, or...?"

"That's pretty western," Hazel replied. "The mystic arts is a _lot_ simpler and a lot easier to furnish. We learn how to manifest energy, mostly. Unfortunately, my witchy practices are still as remedial as before, since they don't teach that kind of thing here, but the Ancient One actually knows some of that stuff and helps me with it if I ask her."

"That's cool... What does this have to do with the guy in the alleyway?"

Hazel sighed and leaned back. "We don't know yet. A few of them want me to join them-maybe they think brute force will help their cause. Either way, just don't follow weird magicians anymore. You'll screw yourself over. We have guardians stationed all over the world to take care of that kind of thing."

"Oh, come on!" Peter complained. "If I see some guy robbing a museum, I can't just sit there. Mister Stark says this kind of thing is below the Avengers' pay grade, so I do it-it's what I do, it's my job-"

"This may be below their pay grade, but this isn't even in their _division_ ," Hazel insisted. "Look. Some of the most powerful masters in this order can be bested by a group of Zealots. You're lucky the Ancient One showed up when she did. Listen, I get that it's your job to help, but please don't interfere. Next time you could end up at the bottom of a lake somewhere, away from the Avengers _and_ the sanctuary."

That shut him up for a minute. She knew of his fear of heights and lakes. Hazel almost regretted it and deliberated her next words very carefully.

"Just be more careful," Hazel's voice was quieter again. "We're taking care of it. But, if you see anything weird again, tell me. I'll keep the masters here informed. I'll be sure you get watchdog credits..."

She got a distant look in her eye as she watched something over Peter's shoulder. However, whatever she was looking at had disappeared by the time Peter glanced behind him. His attention snapped back to Hazel when she sighed quietly, almost as if in defeat.

"And when I come home after this summer," she said. "I'll teach you how to handle magic-users. Deal?"

Deal," Peter seemed complacent to that for now. "So... Can you, like... show me what you've been learning?"

Hazel raised her eyebrows.

 

The Ancient One sat in her room, reading and writing by candlelight. All the doors and windows were slid open, letting the warm midsummer night air drift in and out as it pleased. It was almost like being outside, and the Ancient One nearly envied the serenity of summer nights. She busied herself writing reports to other masters-reports regarding magical anomalies all over the world, mission issues, follow-ups on missions and reports...

It was all tiring, but it had to be done, so the Ancient One never faltered or distracted herself or let herself be distracted. Tonight was no different. Actually, the Ancient One was glad to have something so mundane to frequently do. The last few weeks had been distracting, stressful, and exceptionally eventful, from Hazel's challenge to finding that boy in the alleyway. Peter Parker had given his account; he'd been in the area when he saw the Zealots running out of the New York Sanctum with a couple books in tow. The Ancient One had contacted Daniel Drumm about the alleged theft, and he confirmed that red-robed sorcerers had broke into the sanctum, but they hadn't taken anything and he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried, remember any of their faces...

The Ancient One took a leather-bound bestiary from the stack of books on the desk and began flipping through it thoughtfully. There it is. She knew she'd seen something like this before. She left the book open to a page featuring a self-portrait of the author-or something that only looked like the author. The illustration was crude and the face of the creature was cursory, as if the artist couldn't recall what they were supposed to be drawing. Of course, it could _just_ be a self-portrait, if one disregarded the only word on the page written in large block letters above the drawing.

 _Doppleganger_.

"What are you thinking about?"

The Ancient One raised her head at the sound of Hazel's voice. However, when she looked up, no one was there. She glanced around the room for a moment, confused, before deciding that Something merely wanted to mess with her. She needed to meditate and get to bed.

She shuffled a few papers into neat stacks on the table and stood up. A ruckus in the courtyard drew her attention.

"You can turn into a dog?! That's so cool!"

The Ancient One glanced out the window to see Hazel showing Peter a few of her magic tricks. The woman smiled to herself. This was possibly the first time she'd seen Hazel this happy. She considered scolding them for making a commotion after curfew, but she figured another master would take care of it. No harm in letting Hazel have her fun for one night.

 

Hours later, Hazel and Peter were still awake, talking and playing games and laughing. They played with the cat and the cat watched them as they slept on their own cots on either side of the room. Hazel felt happier than she had in a long time, truly. Yet after all good days, the lingering dread trails behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Is the old classroom the one that burned down?)  
> I cut and added a lot of content in this chapter. The pacing of chapters 13-16 didn't really sit right with me, so I took an extra week to get some things ironed out. Either way, I'm happy to be moving forward. Now I can publish the fun stuff. Like Hazel nearly getting her ribs broken. (Angstlover.jpeg)


	14. Memories of the Haunted Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate chapter title: in which I give up entirely  
> Also, just a quick warning for the nightmare scenes (first two segments); they can get kind of gorey/rapey-by-implication. But, they're just dreams; it's not real.

**Nightmare**

Hazel's nightmares had become manufactured by now. She still felt fear when she heard something whisper her name or felt slimy, cold hands trail down her shoulders and back, and getting caught in a dream and waking up three hours earlier than she should have was hellish. However, she was never claimed by her Guests. What kept her here? Possibly the bindchain she shared with the Ancient One... What else could it be?

However, the night Peter stayed at Kamar-Taj, Hazel had a real nightmare.

The Ancient One was there. Hazel saw the woman standing with her back to the witch, but she was too far away to tell if this Ancient One was a fake or the real thing...

" _Giin_?" Hazel mumbled, but her voice carried as if they were underwater. In the black abyss beyond the Ancient One, Hazel heard a crackling, bubbling, rasping, thin, reedy, wet voice speaking in a language she couldn't understand. The creature in the shimmering abyss spoke calmly at first, then their tone escalated. Was it threatening the Ancient One or just asking her a question?

Then the Ancient One spoke in the same tongue. Her voice was lilting and soft-not unlike her true voice. Hazel's belief swayed in favor of this being the true Ancient One. She spoke calmly as ever, but something in her tone was persuasive, compelling. She seemed resolute; she wasn't asking a question.

The abyss creature replied. Hazel felt a heavy dread settle in her chest.

The being seemed to open up or unfold like a paper flower, expanding and extending tendrils of beckoning darkness. The Ancient One reached out a hand so slowly that Hazel thought she was tentative or hesitant. The Sorcerer Supreme took a step closer to the awaiting abyss. Hazel knew in that instant that if the Ancient One let herself be taken, she would never be seen again.

Hazel bolted forward, feeling herself tearing through the invisible veil that had kept her at bay for so long. She shouted as loudly and powerfully as she could, imbuing the word-every single letter of it-with power strong enough to compel even something like the Ancient One.

" _GIIN!"_

Distracted for a single moment, the Ancient One turned around in her elegant way that made her seem to float for a moment. Hazel didn't have time to register the expression on the Ancient One's face before it warped to one of pain. The previously passive tendrils from the black abyss darted forward, wrapping first around the Ancient One's right arm and hand and dragging her backwards into the waiting, hellish world beyond the ebony portal. The tendrils were stronger than they looked-Hazel felt as if the whole world vibrated with the cracking of the Ancient One's bones. Hazel didn't know if she screamed or not. She didn't think so. After all, the sound the Ancient One made-the pitiful, modest gasp and whimper of pain-was quiet enough that Hazel was surprised she'd heard it at all. And she regretted that; the sound would haunt her for the rest of her life.

 

**Memories of the Haunted Place**

Dreams were always an odd thing to the Ancient One. Hazel had once explained them as "the grown-up way of playing pretend." Where a child implemented relatable trauma and real-world events in their pretend play to help them process said trauma and events, the adult brain did the same in dreams. Dreams were also a statement of one's psychological state, their health both physical and mental, and in the Ancient One's case, the future. Her dreams often had elements of premonition since before she could remember. It was sometimes hard to identify, but even when the dreams seemed commonplace or could possibly be rationalized by elements in the Ancient One's life, the signs presented and interpreted themselves in a dreamlike way.

She'd read it in a book once. _A sign doesn't mean anything unless you know how to interpret it._ What book was that? She'd have to remember when she woke up...

The dreams she had tonight were none of those things, and yet all of them at once. From the minute she closed her eyes, her mind was a haze of bleary horror. From real-life events like fighting Hazel and Guests tormenting her to transmogrifications of said visions where the Ancient One took Hazel's place, then elements that felt foreign and unseen... but the Ancient One figured she had seen them and only neglected to notice them.

She fought Kaecilius in the streets of New York again. He escaped. She tilted the world upright again. The Zealots fell limp to the street and died on impact. One stood and began aggressively signing at her.

She conjured a portal and found herself in an empty hallway of Kamar-Taj. The sanctuary felt off. Agamotto was there in astral form, but he just floated around and said "wow" a lot. She left him and went to the library. There were no people, but more books than she could remember, and they were all the same book- _A Tale for the Time Being_ by Ruth Ozeki. Except whenever the Ancient One tried to read one, it was just the dating scene where Naoko calls herself a loser because she isn't ready to lose her virginity to her paid date Ryu. Except every book is a bit different-in one, she doesn't panic at all. In another, he falls in love with her and they spend the rest of the evening playing board games and holding hands. In another, Naoko tells Ryu that a demon used to force her soul out of her body and possess her, and to stop it for good, a priest bound her with a chain of prayer beads and tattooed runes all over her skin. And then Ryu bound Naoko to the bedposts with prayer beads and mutilated her, and Naoko could only write so much about it, but the more the Ancient One read, the sicker and sicker she felt until she finally had to abandon the cursed books, and she fled the library for good.

Then she was alone, and she was in a trap seal that pulsated red. On the border of the seal, runes in red spelled out demonic names-Dormammu's name was there, but it was misspelled and crudely penned, (it was spelled ' _Doormomu'_ ), as if a child had written it. Did that still bind him and his followers by the seal? Was the intent all that mattered, or did the name _have_ to be spelled right in order to mean anything? She'd have to ask herself again when she woke up.

She tried to stand. She stumbled. She had the legs of an ant.

A cellphone vibrated in her pocket, blaring a softcore punk song in another language the Ancient One couldn't understand and couldn't speak. She took the phone and looked at the screen. She didn't think she'd had a cellphone, ever. She thought the last time she had a phone was a landline in the seventies. That was a different time... When the Ancient One brought the phone to her ear, it transformed into a landline receiver.

"Yes?" she asked. _She doesn't know how to answer a phone._

" _Giin_?" It was Hazel's voice! Was she speaking to her over a long distance? Could she possibly communicate like this in dreams? How exciting!

"Yes?" the Ancient One repeated, a little more optimistically this time. Hazel's voice was casual and deadpan.

"I'm just calling to say I hate you."

 

The Sorcerer Supreme was understandably distressed when she woke up. She bolted upright in bed, covered in a cold sweat and clutching the sheets with trembling hands. After staring blearily into the darkness for a moment, she threw her hand out in front of her. The candles floating about the room blazed at her command, sending the shadows recoiling with hisses and screams of agony.

It took a moment, but the Ancient One slowly began to recognize herself again. She drew her knees to her chest and lowered her head. She felt a sudden weight on top of the covers next to her. The weight-of only about nine pounds or so-crawled up closer to her on four paws and settled down right by her. The Ancient One bravely moved a hand to bury her fingers in the cat's soft fur. She knew him.

"Is Hazel with Stephen?" she murmured. She sighed tiredly. "We all need to do better."

She didn't want to go back to sleep if that was the kind of thing she'd be seeing. She scooped up the cat and carried him downstairs to the kitchen. She was almost there when she realized she'd been impulsive in her decision to stay up. The sun wasn't close to rising yet. Perhaps she'd make some tea and grab something from the library for a bit of light reading before settling down again...

She turned the corner into the kitchen and froze.

"Oh," she sighed.

Hazel was already standing by the candlelit counter, putting herbs in an infuser. A blue kettle of water heated quietly and politely on the stove. She looked up when she heard the Ancient One speak.

"What's wrong?" Hazel asked. She acted like nothing was amiss; she knew the moment she woke up that nothing had changed. Her face relaxed into a smile. "Oh. Bad dreams?"

"Yes. Are you making tea?" the Ancient One released the cat onto the counter.

"Mm-hmm," Hazel put the infuser in the kettle and took the kettle off the stove. "Could you... grab a couple cups?"

The Ancient One nodded and brought a couple teacups to one of the tables in the dining hall. Hazel soon joined her, and they sat together quietly over some hot tea.

"Are you feeling better?" the Ancient One murmured.

"Yeah," Hazel nodded. "Are you?"

The Ancient One chuckled and tilted her teacup to peer into it. "It's strange. I don't think a student has ever prepared tea for me after a nightmare."

"You don't have them often, do you?" Hazel asked. The Ancient One considered it for a moment.

"No, of course not." She poured herself another cup of tea. Hazel's newfound spell of plenty. "How have you been holding up?"

Hazel shrugged. The Ancient One stared at her.

"What was your dream about?"

"I saw you," Hazel whispered, running a hand through her unkempt hair. "You took my place. I can't stand to think that..."

"I don't think what you saw was real, _Haalaan_."

Hazel put her forehead in her hand and rested her elbow on the table.

"What am I going to say to Peter? To any of them?" Her voice was hoarse now; her breath came and went in uneven gasps. "If the Guests are strong enough to impersonate Zealots and hurt people I know... I-I'll never see them again."

The Ancient One felt a dull ache in her chest flare up as if it had never left her. She'd lost others before, all inevitably, in the grand scheme of things. A part of her wanted to recoil and leave Hazel and isolate herself. But she only placed her hand on Hazel's.

 

**Iron Man**

It was Saturday, meaning there were no obvious classes to crash when Tony Stark showed up to Kamar-Taj in his full suit. He spotted Hazel and Peter in one of the courtyards, playing one of Hazel's simple Cat's Cradle games. There were a couple groups of people in that yard, and a couple dozen in other corners of the temple that had already caught sight of the Avenger flying, but few people seemed to care.

Tony landed in the middle of the courtyard before Hazel and Peter.

"I'm looking for a witch," he announced as his helmet retracted to show his face. "She probably calls herself Hazel Grace Stark."

Peter was, like a couple others in the yard, overcome with awe and thrill at seeing the fully-outfitted hero. Hazel, however, wasn't that impressed with his dramatic enterance. She got to her feet after Peter and approached the man of iron.

"There you are," he raised his eyebrows. "I almost didn't recognize you. Is that your cult get-up?"

Hazel sneered. "Good to see you too, cos. Did you have to show up in the suit? We have a front door."

"Just making a good first impression on your classmates," Tony looked around at their staring company.

"That so?"

As they bantered, students stared and whispered to each other. The masters were significantly less impressed, the Ancient One among them. In fact, she'd uncharacteristically decided to remain on a balcony and neglect to even regard the guest mutually. She leaned on the stone wall of the balcony, flicking a folding fan rapidly, and watched the exchange while making no move to join Hazel. Beside her, the white-tortoise-shell cat sprawled on the wall and flicked his tail judgmentally as he watched the superheroes below.

"Not going to greet our esteemed guest?" Mordo asked, joining her on the balcony.

"I don't feel like it," the Ancient One sighed, rather lazily. She'd had enough of outsiders for the weekend. She felt a bit bad, but she had more important things to focus on.

Mordo seemed to know exactly what was going on. "How's Hazel?"

"You can see for yourself," the other shrugged. She hated talking about this when she still didn't have an answer. The cat butted its head against her arm, but whether he was trying to support her or bully her, the Ancient One couldn't say. Still, she absentmindedly ran her thin fingers over the cat's neck, as you're supposed to when a cat wants to be pet. "If only I'd gone with her that one day. If only she'd sided with Kaecilius."

"Ancient One?!" Mordo stared at her incredulously. She gave him a baleful glance.

"I would have lost her either way, it seems. At least then she would've known some form of peace before she died."

"Joining Kaecilius is the last thing that would've given her peace. And there's still a chance for her," Mordo pressed. "The wards have proven too strong to allow hostile Guests on the grounds of the sanctuary. We haven't expended nearly all of our resources, and Hazel still has the will to fight-if not for herself, then for others. As long as she has that, she has the strength to overcome this."

The Ancient One looked at him, her face uncertain and a bit apologetic. He was right. She was getting hasty again.

"Thank you," she said. "Sometimes I forget the effects of not believing in someone. I'm glad I have you as an advisor."

A smile tugged at his lips as he moved to join her. He carefully started scratching the cat's back. The cat appreciated it.

 

**Levy**

After Tony Stark left the building with that kid in tow, people gossiped about Hazel more than ever. _Well, that explains why she's so arrogant. Who knew someone like Hazel was related to Tony Stark? She not a rich kid, and she's rooted deeply in the mystic arts. Whoever said "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" must've been crazy._ Of course, those who didn't know Hazel embellished their own speculations. _She's probably adopted, what if a Stark just found her somewhere and decided to surprise adopt a kid? What if she was an orphan, or a long-lost relative?_

"He's my _cousin_ ," Hazel had insisted to the cat and to the tree. "We're second cousins, really. It's not that weird that we barely know each other; Tony and Howard both were kind of reclusive."

Once, a group of novices planned to confront Hazel. They approached her while she was reading under the blue-flowered tree. However, once they got within five feet of her, the tree's branches suddenly quaked, as if shaken by a great wind, thrashing over Hazel without hitting her at all and making a frightening groaning noise. Needless to say, after the novices were scared off, most people left Hazel alone.

Except her former friends. Reiko, Lucas, Liam, and Tara kept their speculations to themselves, and they felt more sympathy and regret than pride-Reiko especially. Hazel had a well-off family somewhere that sent her halfway across the world and never spoke to her. Did she even want to be here? She didn't _need_ Kamar-Taj for sanctuary like Reiko and her father did. To them, this explained why Hazel was so sullen at times and argued and was arrogant.

On Sunday, Free Day, they approached her carefully. She was dressed in a tasteful-if flamboyant-printed skirt and ruffled blouse and sitting beneath that blue tree that had grown to like her enough that it developed sentience to the point that it could ward off any who didn't please Hazel. Rei approached first, slowly, as if waiting for the tree to show a sign of admitting them or chasing them off. It was still and silent like any normal tree, but Reiko and the others knew better. Hazel looked up. Her hair was held back with a simple wooden pin.

"Hey," Rei greeted. "Sorry about all that happened after you got out of the healer's ward. You're a trip, Hazel Grace."

Hazel blinked, then she smiled at the elder student. "You're forgiven. I wasn't ever mad at you to begin with. Where are you headed?"

"The market, probably," Lucas replied. "There's little gift shops and an ice cream place we think you'd like."

"Wanna come along?" Tara offered.

Hazel smiled and shifted awkwardly. "Sorry, I really shouldn't... _G-Giin_ says I shouldn't leave Kamar-Taj."

"Alright, then," Rei gave another smile, one that tried to say "we're cool" even though they weren't. "Maybe next time?"

"Yeah," Hazel nodded. "Thank you for inviting me, though. I appreciate it."

She watched them leave, trying to reassure herself that they'd ever speak to her again.

 

The masters didn't ask much of Hazel that day. When she asked for a job, Master Tashi told her to run all over Kamar-Taj, over the roofs and all like she learned to do, but that was all. She was free to do as she pleased. Surprisingly, even though the sanctuary was barren without its students as if it were nighttime, Hazel felt grounded in reality.

She found herself sitting under her blue-flowered tree, reading from her favorite book again. The cat sat politely in her lap, purring quietly and listening along with the tree, bugs, stones, and whatever else happened to be nearby as Hazel captivated them with her voice.

"' _We may as well escape. But if we do, there will never be another chance. All the unicorns of the world will remain his prisoners forever, except for one, and she will die.' 'Everything dies!' she cried to the prince. 'So why not me?'_ "

Hazel heard a husky whisper of wind through the tree's leaves. When she glanced back, the tree had lowered a branch to her eye level, and on that branch hung a single, delicate indigo plum. This tree didn't bear fruit.

"Nice try," Hazel refused the gift. She closed her book and stood, making the cat leap to the ground with a disgruntled chatter.

 

Of course, every time there was a free day, something had to go amiss. The Ancient One was informed as soon as Daniel Drumm realized that the Cloak of Levitation had been stolen from the New York Sanctum. Master Drumm came to her as soon as he realized it, and gave her any detail he could provide about the circumstances of such a catastrophe.

"It could've been stolen by those Zealots that attacked the Sanctum a couple days ago," he admitted. "Although I didn't noticed they'd taken anything but a couple of books-which they dropped as soon as they were pursued by that kid."

" ~~Those weren't even Zealots~~ ," the Ancient One had almost said it out loud. But she knew it couldn't have been them because agents of the Main Guest had no use for such things.

She withheld a sigh. "I'll alert the other masters. It's a fickle thing; unless it's under the influence of severe binding magic, I don't think it will be missing for long."

Indeed, the Cloak wasn't unaccounted for for too long. In fact, the Ancient One didn't even have to look far. On her way out of the library, a shriek from the courtyard caught her attention.

"Put me down, put me down _now_!"

The Ancient One rushed out to the courtyard to only be greeted by the sight of Hazel curled up on the ground beside the nervously hovering Cloak of Levitation. The Ancient One's expression morphed to one of curiosity. What was that girl up to now? She moved to join the witch and relic, not surprised when a couple other masters joined her. Had most of the students not been out for their holiday, Hazel's scream would've alerted the whole sanctuary.

Hazel trembled from laughter and nerves as she shuffled back to her feet.

"Please don't do that again," she shivered. "I think I get it."

The collar of the Cloak stood, like perked dog ears, but slackened again as it pirouetted to regard the Ancient One, Mordo, and Master Junzo. The leaves hovering near Hazel dropped.

"There you are," the Ancient One spoke to the Cloak. "We thought you'd been stolen."

"What is the meaning of this, Miss Grace?" Master Junzo demanded. "Thought you'd _borrow_ some relics for your own use?"

"Use?" Hazel parroted. "He's my Guest."

"The Cloak of Levitation isn't easily swayed," Mordo interjected. "What made it come to you?"

"What makes Fenrir himself bow to me?" Hazel replied. "Every specter I summon is a fragment of Fenrir that is released from his prison in the Underworld. Would you destroy the one person who grants you freedom?"

"That still doesn't justify theft," Master Junzo stated, but there was no resolve in his tone. He finally looked at the Ancient One. He was surprised she'd stayed silent throughout this entire exchange.

The Ancient One stood by the Cloak, holding its edges and running her fingers along the hems. Her expression was thoughtful.

" _Hi tiiraaz fahdon_ ," she mumbled.

For a moment, Junzo thought she was truly reconsidering containing the Cloak. However, when she returned her attention to her fellow sorcerers, she seemed as distant as ever.

"Finish your lesson, _Haalaan,_ " she allowed. "Then return the Cloak to its proper place in the New York Sanctum."

" _Ol hi uth, Ataashii_ ," Hazel bowed her head. ( _As you command, Master._ )

 

**Flower Cupid**

Over the rest of the morning and afternoon, the Ancient One reviewed the notes Stephen had left for her about the research she'd asked him to do. Even after reading several books in an impressive amount of time, he unfortunately didn't have anything new or revealing to impart. The Ancient One didn't remember any situation where she had to read so many books and didn't make any progress.

Perhaps she could reach out to another spirit medium she knew. He didn't follow Kamar-Taj's teachings, but if he could possibly provide vital perspective on the situation, the Ancient One would be willing to work with him for a time. So, she sat in her study and wrote him a letter relaying an abridged account of the situation.

It was while she was writing that she heard a two-note whistle just outside the window. Absentmindedly, she glanced up, intending to go right back to writing, but she froze as soon as she saw what was out there. Hazel was outside on the roof, lying horizontally with an arm propping her head up and the other draped dramatically across her eyes. She held the stem of a purple flower in her mouth.

" _Daan hi...?_ " ( _What are you...?_ ) The Ancient One couldn't help but smirk as Hazel climbed though the window and into the room. Hazel chuckled and dropped the flower on the desk.

"Just checking in," she replied. "Have you had tea yet?"

"Not yet."

"I'll go get some for you," Hazel smiled and turned to leave. "I'll be right back."

" _Saraanah." (Wait.)_

Hazel hesitated in the doorway and peered over her shoulder. The Ancient One delicately held up the flower and raised an eyebrow. Hazel grinned coyly.

"Just a little _dokzaan_ to cheer you up," she replied and trotted off before the other could inquire anymore.

" _Dokzaan_?" The Ancient One had never heard the word. Perhaps Hazel made it up. Still, she did feel better, and she quickly finished the letter and folded it up in a small envelope. Knowing her contact, he wouldn't hardly be aware of common post delivery, so sending the letter by bird really was the only option. She stood by the window, where a raven was already diligently waiting for her.

" _Ataashii_ ," the bird coughed, mimicking Hazel, no doubt.

"Don't give me that," the Ancient One scolded him, but there was no true displeasure behind it. She held up the letter and the bird took it before flying off across the courtyard and beyond the walls of the sanctuary. The Ancient One leaned against the windowsill for a moment and watched it go.

Her eyes lingered in the courtyard, where she saw Hazel just standing and staring at something in the corner. The Ancient One narrowed her eyes and leaned out as far as she could manage, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. For a moment, she considered calling down to Hazel, but decided against alerting the entire sactuary of something that might be amiss. Especially if it had to do with Hazel Grace.

By the time she reached the courtyard, Hazel was thankfully still there. They were lucky to be alone, so the Ancient One could deal with Hazel privately.

"Something wrong?" she asked as she approached the girl. Hazel continued to stare at a spot where the wall and the ground met. The Ancient One followed her gaze and had to refrain from cringing in disgust. There laid what looked like a dead squirrel, half-eaten, it's hollowed-out body spilling over with writhing maggots and flies.

"Did... the Ancient One leave it there?" Hazel turned her head slowly with a faint, unfortunate expression on her face. Her voice was wrong as well, slow... as if she didn't remember how to speak. The Ancient One watched her more closely for a moment. "Do you hear it?"

"Hear what?" the Ancient One spoke quietly as well. She was unsettled and frightened by the way Hazel was acting. Hazel looked over her shoulder at the tree across the courtyard.

"I haven't seen a cicada in years, but their hushed rattle still haunts me. Do _you_ hear it?"

She didn't. And the Ancient One didn't think Hazel did either. In a moment, the Ancient One cast a flash of a spell that pinned Hazel flush against the wall with her arms flung out to either side of her. As she'd suspected, the Ancient One didn't see any bindchain on either of the other's wrists.

"So, you're what I heard the other night," the Ancient One murmured. The thing that looked like Hazel rattled and thrashed like an animal in chains. Its face transmogrified, blanching to the color of bleached wood and hair falling limp and gnarled like brambles. It tried to mimic the way Hazel shapeshifted in battle, but the only lupine aspect it managed to create was a pair of glistening fangs. It trembled in fear and rage in the presence of the Sorcerer Supreme, and for that, the Ancient One was temporarily grateful. As long as they feared her, they had a chance.

Then, in the next instant, the creature was gone, and so was the dead squirrel.

 

**Days Passed**

The Ancient One and the cat stood in the courtyard under the blue-flowered tree. She stared up at the wilting blossoms with a worried look on her face. It was a bit early for the tree to shed its leaves for winter, but it didn't look like that's what the tree was trying to do. Hazel wasn't the only one in the sanctuary who tended to the plants; other students and masters ensured the tree was well-watered and spoken to kindly on a daily basis. Yet here it stood, wilting like an ailing rose.

The woman flicked the folding fan in her hand idly, and gave the cat a meaningful look. Further into the courtyard, Hazel and Master Drumm discussed relics and their many forms and uses. The master of the New York Sanctum had brought a collection of relics to show Hazel; these relics now rested on a blanket on a bench between the two, and Hazel was allowed and able to touch all of them. She recited each of their names wrong, but she knew each of them as if she'd been studying them all her life.

"You've grown stronger," the master noticed. "I didn't think the Ancient One would allow you to study relics so personally after a mere few months."

"It's quiet here," Hazel explained, running her fingers delicately along the blade and handle of an axe . "And I did my fair share of errand-bitching around. I was quiet, and that made me learn quickly."

"You favor the mystic," Daniel Drumm noticed how dearly she treated each item without coddling it; respectful and doting, but never babying. "Kenzo was like you. Powerful, quiet, but _he_ never challenged the Ancient One."

Hazel looked up. "Who's Kenzo?"

"One of the Ancient One's former students and a former Master of the Mystic Arts," he replied. "You two would've gotten along. He too developed a fundamental understanding of magic, just as you have. Actually, he was a hand-chosen candidate for succeeding her."

"Oh?" Hazel was interested. "What happened to him?"

"No one knows," Drumm admitted. "When the Ancient One proposed he take her place in time, he disappeared."

He picked up a short staff-the Staff of the Living Tribunal-and extended it before flailing the segmented whip on the ground beside them. Startled, Hazel took the form of a white fox and jumped back, darting onto a statue in the corner of the yard. Master Drumm wasn't sure why she'd taken animal form. Perhaps it was second-nature to her, but if it was a conscious decision, judging by how her fur puffed up aggressively, she probably just didn't want him to see her trembling.

Drumm looked entertained as the staff returned to a neutral state, and he set it back down with the other relics. "Did the Ancient One teach you that, as well?"

The fox didn't reply. She merely watched him. He chuckled.

"Don't do that too often," he warned. "If you're not in complete control, you might get stuck like that."

Hazel's ears twitched. She didn't come down again.

 

"Master Drumm didn't seem too bothered."

The Ancient One glanced at Hazel. The girl was slouched over a book, skimming the pages. The Ancient One recognized the book by the illustrations on the page.

"Ah, about your shapeshifting?" the Ancient One smiled when her eyes returned to her own book. "There's no real reason for him to be."

" _Vahzah_?" ( _Truly?_ ) Hazel looked inquiringly at the woman. "You know, the stories in this book warn against shapeshifting. There's one where a man turned into a bear and forgot himself? Then he killed his son because he couldn't recognize him anymore. I know it was true. Why hasn't anyone here told me about it yet?"

"Because..." the Ancient One fidgetted a little bit, sliding a scrap of paper between the pages and closing the book before setting it aside. "That's not _entirely_ _true_ , really."

"Really?"

"Of course," the Ancient One nodded, reaching over and giving the cat an affectionate scratch under its chin. "It's easier for you, since you're imitating beings of power and not simple animals, but you _can_ adopt the form and life of an animal permanently while still retaining your conscience, your memories, your magic..."

"So, you don't have to worry about me because I use magic in my animal form?" Hazel asked.

The Ancient One withheld a sigh of dismayed frustration. "It... also helps that you have an understanding of magic beyond the primitive fancies of the men in the stories. If you chose to adopt your wolf form permanently, I wouldn't be worried at all."

Hazel narrowed her eyes at the cat, then gave the Ancient One a look whilst pointing accusingly at the cat.

"So who's that?" she asked, even though she had a pretty good idea already. The cat looked at her with an amused glint in his eye.

"My familiar," the Ancient One replied simply.

"I mean in his human form!" Hazel demanded.

"What does it matter who he was?" the Ancient One asked. "He preferred a simpler life whilst still contributing to something bigger than himself. So he surrendered to his favored form and spent the following years with me."

"I knew he wasn't just a stupid cat," Hazel breathed to herself.

"Indeed. I never wanted to tell you this, but shapeshifters are powerful beings."

Her labradorite eyes flickered to Hazel's, but the girl politely ignored the compliment.

"Do the others know?" Hazel asked.

The Ancient One opened her mouth, then hesitated, chuckling quietly.

"I don't think they know themselves," she finally replied. "They know him in spirit, even if they don't know who he once was by name or shape. To them, he's just a gifted cat. And he is, now, so respect that."

"Of course," Hazel nodded. "I'm sorry." She inched closer to the table and timidly rubbed her fingers together towards the cat. "Does he have a cat name?"

"Not really."

"Oh. Did you chip him?"

"He hasn't let me."

"Okay. Do you babytalk him?"

"No," the Ancient One lied.

 

**Invasion**

During combat lessons the next day, Hazel was distracted again, but not fatally so. However, when swapping sparring partners, she couldn't contain herself much longer.

"Hey, Lucas?" she asked. "You hear that, right?"

"Hear what?" Lucas paused and followed her gaze. She was staring at the sanctuary.

"It's a girl-she's crying pretty loudly. She's been doing it all morning; don't you think someone should help her?"

Lucas' movements slowed and stilled. He didn't hear anything, but, then again, he hadn't been listening. After a moment of the two youths standing around staring at nothing, a master joined them.

"Care to explain why neither of you are training?" Mordo asked. Usually when scolded, his students would stutter and fidget, obviously chagrined, but Lucas and Hazel seemed too preoccupied to regard their master.

"Master Mordo," Lucas turned his head with a troubled expression on his face. "Do you... _hear_ anything inside?"

"What do you mean?" Mordo narrowed his eyes.

"Like... I don't know how to explain it. I don't know how I didn't realize until Hazel pointed it out, but there's a girl crying inside somewhere."

"What are you-" Now that Lucas mentioned it, Mordo did hear it. A constant, heart-wrenching series of sobs and wails from an unidentified person. Mordo looked back at the two students. "Lucas, watch the others. I'll take care of it."

However, as he expected, he never found a girl. He searched the halls and rooms, but the sound faded away before he found anyone.

 

After he was sure there was nothing amiss in the sanctuary and the wards were still intact, he searched for the Ancient One. He found her in her rooms, sitting at a table and flipping through an old tome, but Mordo was surprised to also find Hazel in the room. She was lying curled up on the floor right beside the Ancient One, sleeping soundly. The Ancient One absentmindedly lowered a hand to touch Hazel's shoulder every once in a while.

"What's this?" Mordo asked. It was the middle of the afternoon.

The Ancient One looked sympathetically at Hazel.

"It's alright," she replied. "She needs the sleep."

"The Guests keep bothering her, I take it?" Mordo asked.

"Among other things," the Ancient One replied. "Although her Guests originate from a dream dimension, it's entirely possible for her to have meaningless, unreal nightmares just like anyone else. We shouldn't blame them entirely."

"Truly?" Mordo looked at her incredulously. "Hazel's life is at risk, her health is failing, her spirit is deteriorating, all because of these _Guests_ of hers. Are you going to be lenient with them _now_?"

The Ancient One didn't reply. She merely returned to her reading. "Did you check the wards?"

"Yes. Nothing was amiss. I don't understand why Hazel's Guests appeared."

"It's true that not all of them need a breach to manifest here," she nodded. "And Hazel's fatigue might be to credit. However, appearing to other students in the middle of the day..."

Mordo watched Hazel. She seemed peaceful enough lying there. Or too exhausted to fight.

"What can we do for her?" he asked. "We've been protecting her all this time, but we're prolonging the inevitable. What are we going to do to save her?"

"I'm still considering our options."

He despised how distant she sounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been really eager to post this chapter for a while now. I really like finally writing TAO's dream sequence. Now I can finish the October prompts on my tumblr without spoiling anything from it!
> 
> The quote about interpreting signs is from Memoirs of a Geisha.  
> Tale for a Time Being by Ruth Ozeki is a really good book and I think you should check it out sometime.  
> That story hazel tells about the man turning into a bear is a story I heard somewhere, but I can't remember where.
> 
> DT stuff  
> -I couldn't find the translation for what the Ancient One said to the Cloak. The word "tiiraaz" is a made-up word, and I recently lost my dictionary when I got my new computer. I'll look through my old notes and stuff and put in a translation when I can find it.  
> -Dokzaan is a word Hazel made up literally composed of "dog" and "shout." It's kind of a parallel to "catcall" and she probably means something along the lines of "flirting/being cheeky."


	15. Somnolence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ancient One fights with herself about what is to be done with Hazel.

**Somnambulism**

Hazel stood. She walked. She ghosted through the halls of Kamar-Taj, observing others who didn't spare her a second glance. It was light outside, as if it was midday, but Hazel didn't think she'd be floating about in the middle of the day. There was a void outside, that's all. That had to be it.

A speaker must've been on somewhere. She heard music-a familiar song distorted and muffled as they all were in the dream dimension. The sound ebbed and flowed like a recurring tide. It faded to silence when she turned a corner only to start up again when she passed an unlit alcove in the wall and so forth.

She didn't know how long she was walking, but an unsettling feeling crossed her eventually. She should wake up soon. She had class to attend.

 

"And you haven't heard from the other masters about the Zealots?"

The Ancient One shook her head, oddly optimistic given the circumstances. "Hazel's been in contact with a few spirits. They tell her that the Main Guest wasn't very pleased with how Kaecilius handled Hazel. It could've been a spiteful attack on his part."

Stephen heaved a sigh. Hazel's hunter seemed as petty and unpredictable as the girl sometimes.

"What else has Hazel heard?" he asked. "Do we have a name for the demon yet?"

"I'm sure we could ask her," the Ancient One twisted to look at the wall behind her. It was about time for Hazel to wake up anyway. However, the spot on the floor under the windowsill was empty save for an abandoned pillow and a blanket left in a careless heap. The Ancient One rose quickly. "Where is she?"

Not a moment later, Stephen and the Ancient One heard some kind of calamity coming from downstairs. Voices shouting, dishes breaking. The pair followed the sound to the kitchens, where Reiko stood warily by the counter, hands outstretched to placate the girl standing in the middle of the room. Hazel stared at Reiko in disoriented confusion, as if she wasn't consciously aware of the large kitchen knife she held.

"Just put it down," Reiko said for the hundredth time. "What are you doing?"

"Hazel!" Stephen lunged for the girl, but the Ancient One held him back by his arm.

"Don't!" the elder snapped. "You'll frighten her."

Stephen merely stood back and watched anxiously as the Ancient One slowly moved in front of Hazel and began walking towards her.

"I'm not mad," she said. "Just put the knife down. You're dreaming, Hazel."

"I know," Hazel said, her voice monotonous with fatigue. "I was just..."

She looked down at the knife in her hand and allowed the elder to take it when she got close enough. The Ancient One left the knife on the kitchen counter and wrapped an arm around Hazel to guide her.

"I'm taking Hazel to the healers," she told the other two. "I'll handle it from here, thank you."

Stephen was about to follow them, but the Ancient One gave him a hard look.

"I'll handle it," she insisted and took Hazel away before he had a chance to argue with her.

 

Once Hazel awoke in the healer's ward, the Ancient One wavered precariously between merely questioning Hazel and giving her the third degree.

"How am I supposed to know what happened?" Hazel shrugged. "I thought I was asleep. This happens sometimes."

"Do you hear yourself?" the Ancient One demanded, but she digressed a moment later. "How much have you been sleeping?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"One I expect you to answer." The Ancient One was getting impatient now. Hazel was becoming a danger to herself and to others. At this rate, she'd cause more trouble than she's worth and _still_ be taken away by the demon.

Hazel stared at the wall petulantly for a moment before giving a half-hearted shrug.

"What have you been doing at night?" the Ancient One pressed.

"Studying," Hazel replied. "Reading. Whatever."

"And did you sleep at all?"

Hazel didn't. She'd slept so irregularly lately that the couple hours after class in the Ancient One's rooms was the only sleep she'd gotten in the last twenty-four hours. She was surprised no one had noticed her before, but perhaps her tendency to make herself invisible was as much a curse as it was a blessing. She only looked up again when the Ancient One gave an irate huff.

"You are so afraid of losing yourself to the dream demon that you're just giving yourself away. You _have_ to take better care of yourself."

 

**She did better. That was a mistake.**

Reiko worried for Hazel as she saw less and less of the girl. After the fight between Hazel and the Ancient One was made a public secret, (it felt like so long ago), Reiko distanced herself. However, since then, viewing Hazel's current behavior objectively, Reiko began warming up to the girl again in unstable bursts. Events like what happened yesterday were instrumental in her regard for the girl. She wanted to help Hazel, but she could tell that she knew very little about what was truly going on. Plus, whenever she tried asking her father about it, he dismissed the very idea and told her not to worry about it. Well, Reiko was worried about it, but temptation only followed her for a short time.

 

"Hazel."

Hazel's pace faltered as she look back over her shoulder. Reiko was practically chasing after her until she caught up.

"Hey," Hazel started. "I didn't see you in class today."

"I was helping my father with a few things," the other replied smoothly. "You look better."

"Yeah," Hazel smiled a bit bashfully. A couple days had passed since the incident, and those days were spent getting enough food and sleep to put her at ease. "I've been feeling a lot better, too. Where are you headed?"

"I was thinking I'd join you?" Reiko offered. "You're heading to the library, right?"

"Yeah..." Hazel glanced away for a moment. "Stephen and I are doing research for an... extracurricular project."

"Oh?" Reiko started walking. "Well, I won't bother you. I was heading there anyway."

"Alright," Hazel shrugged and the two of them walked side by side to the library.

Once there, Stephen took note of Reiko as she found a book and settled in the corner to study. Hazel shrugged at him and joined him at the table. He already had a collection of books out and open.

"Find anything good?" Hazel asked.

"We're studying blood-binding rituals," he replied tersely. "If any of this stuff was pleasant, I'd let you know."

"Fair point." Hazel looked over the contents of one of the books. "I recognize this ritual. You make a decoy of wicker or wheat and burn it as an offering in place of a person."

"Would that... work?" Stephen lowered his voice and glanced over his shoulder at Reiko again.

"They'd know it's fake," Hazel replied. "It might hold them off for a time, but they'd just get angrier until they're given something real. There's no blood in a wicker man."

"What about the wicker man rituals?" Stephen asked. "They made a hollow, woven man that acted as a cage and put the living sacrifices inside-no, nevermind. That's a bad plan."

"Yeah," Hazel nodded.

"What ritual are you two researching for?"

Hazel startled as Reiko joined them. She couldn't come up with an answer even when she composed herself. "Uh..."

Reiko glanced over the texts. "Blood magic?"

"It's for an essay," Stephen lied.

"Yeah, it's not like we're going to do them," Hazel added. Reiko gave her a stern look.

"I doubt the Ancient One would let you stay here if you intended to do any of this," she smirked. Hazel gave a nervous grimace in return.

"Yeah. Anyway," Hazel straightened. "We're trying to find out how one sworn to these rituals could get out of them. Like, a kill-free alternative."

Reiko scrutinized her. "And this is for an essay?"

"I'm presenting it to a Pagan coven back home," Hazel was surprised at how easily the lie came to her. "The Ancient One thinks that since I'm already involved with practitioners of the western craft, they'd be more likely to listen to me if any... event gets out of hand. We might be able to abolish blood magic whilst still retaining the ritual's integrity."

Reiko raised her eyebrows with a small yet delighted smile. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd get so involved in something like that."

Hazel gave a dry, two-note laugh. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_

"So you're looking for a way," Reiko reiterated. "To pay off a blood ritual without bloodshed?"

"Yeah," Hazel nodded. "It's kind of important to me."

Reiko glanced at Hazel's lips for a split second before returning to the texts.

"Have you checked the _Tome of Dahmaan_?" she asked.

"I don't know," Hazel did know, and she knew that this was not a transgression she was making today. "We really shouldn't."

"You're the only one here that can read it," Reiko persuaded.

"Exactly, which means you two would lose it the second I tried to read it to you," Hazel argued. "We should just stick to what we've got for now. I'll ask the Ancient One to check the book later."

Reiko relented, albeit slowly.

"They're not forbidden, you know," she said. "And since you are capable of reading the dragon language, I'm sure the Ancient One wouldn't mind."

"Since when do you know anything about the dragon cult, anyway?" Hazel asked. "And that was a pretty big leap in logic to make."

"As a master's daughter, I know more about prominent cults than other acolytes at Kamar-Taj," Reiko explained. "And the dragons were most known for their demands."

Hazel was still hesitant, and a little paranoid. _Tangahshii_ was a dragon ritual, and if there was any enlightening discoveries to be made, they'd come from the _Dahmaan_ dragon tome. However, reading the book in these circumstances was still too risky. Hazel couldn't have anyone else learn the truth about the ritual. Right now, Reiko was an outsider.

"Hazel." Reiko's voice was soft as she put a hand over Hazel's shaking one. "I know something's going on with you. And I know what happened with the Ancient One and what happened the other day have something to do with it. I understand if you can't tell me everything, but... I'm not mad at you. I just want to help."

Hazel leaned against Reiko's shoulder. She wished she could tell her anything and everything, but in the end, she was too exhausted to even make something up.

 

It was almost dinner time when Hazel left Stephen and Reiko in the library. She'd received a curt but demanding text message from Kai, simply containing a teacup emoticon. Hazel retrieved a set of tea from the kitchens and brought it to the healer's ward as demanded. However, just outside the door, she froze at the sound of her name spoken by familiar voices.

"Hazel didn't have anything to do with this," the Ancient One was saying.

"You're lying," Master Junzo snapped. The Ancient One rephrased.

"Hazel didn't go out of her way to be involved out of malicious intent. This may have something to do with her, but she did not intend for Reiko to get hurt-"

"It doesn't matter if she intended it or not," Master Junzo continued. "I've been lenient with Miss Grace so far because I understand her mystical handicaps, but the instant she brings danger to _my daughter_ -"

The two masters turned when they saw Hazel standing in the doorway. Hazel couldn't focus on either of them as she took in the situation before her. Reiko was lying unconscious in the center bed, her arm in a cast and elevated. Hazel's entire body felt unpleasantly numb with shock. The tray of tea slipped from her fingers and crashed loudly on the tile.

Master Junzo stood in front of the bed, blocking Hazel's view of the long-unconscious girl. "Get out."

"H-how long as she been here?" Hazel whispered.

"Get _out_ ," he repeated more forcefully. "And don't come back; you're never to see my daughter again, just leave!"

"Master Junzo," the Ancient One started, but Hazel had already turned and fled. The Ancient One followed her out to the hall and found her leaning heavily against the wall. The Ancient One took her shoulders to ground her.

"She's alright," the Ancient One said. "It's a broken arm and a concussion, Hazel. She's fixable; she's fine."

"It's not that," Hazel took a breath. "I... she was..."

The Ancient One watched her very carefully. After a moment, the shock wore off, but the horror was still there in full force.

"How long has she... been in the healer's ward?" Hazel asked quietly.

"She was attacked at about four this morning. She and her father have been in the healer's ward ever since."

Hazel felt an icy chill rattle her bones.

" _Giin_ ," she said. "Stephen and I have been with Reiko in the library all afternoon."

At once, the Ancient One understood Hazel's reaction. Her mind went back to a few days ago when she saw the Hazel doppleganger in the courtyard. Of course. She knew they could appear in the sanctuary, why didn't she warn Hazel? To think, they had an agent of the Main Guest in such close proximity to Hazel and no one even _realized_...

"Where is she now?" she asked.

"I don't know," Hazel replied. "If we go back to the library, she might still be there..."

However, when they did, the doppelganger was nowhere to be seen. They regrouped with Stephen to get his account of the events, but he was just as shocked as Hazel since he saw the exact same thing. The Ancient One felt uneasy, but she refused to panic. Even here, even in her own sanctuary, she was no longer safe from intruders. Hazel was right; they needed to do something drastic very quickly or all would be lost soon.

 

**Day Out**

The next day, Master Tashi was in the middle of showing the class a new spell when they were politely interrupted.

" _Ond daar_ ," ( _Look at that,)_ the Ancient One mumbled, scrutinizing Hazel as she descended the stairs into the plaza. The girl remained focused on her spell and showed little indication of even noticing the elder's presence. Hazel tilted her head in the Ancient One's direction, but didn't go further than that. The Ancient One wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Ancient One," Tashi bowed his head. "Surveying the class again? They've improved."

"Actually, I was wondering if I could have Hazel for the afternoon. I have an errand to run, and I want to take her with me."

Tashi glanced at Hazel in surprise, but the girl had already disengaged her conjuring and moved to join them.

"Thank you, Master Tashi," the Ancient One nodded and lead Hazel away.

"Is something wrong?" Hazel asked. The woman smiled reassuringly.

"Don't be so grim. I reinforced the wards today and nothing was amiss. And given that you and I will be outside the sanctuary today, the chances of anything trying to get in is slim."

"Oh?" Hazel stopped, planting her feet obstinately. She regarded the elder carefully. "Why do you want to take me out?"

The Ancient One patiently rolled up her sleeve to show the bindchain on her wrist and took Hazel's hand slowly but firmly.

"Hazel, I promise you, we'll be safe."

Hazel was put at ease immediately. The Ancient One guided her up the stairwell to the dorms.

"I was thinking you could dress down for this, since we're going out."

"Oh?" Hazel narrowed her eyes, but went along with it. Once they reached her room, she dispelled the lock seal and opened the doors. She waved the other in absentmindedly. "What do you have in mind?"

The Ancient One closed the door behind her and surveyed the room as Hazel picked through her clothes. The room was a mess; ashes piled in the catchers as if Hazel hadn't emptied them for days. Art supplies were strewn about, and on every surface was some form of refuse, be it dirty clothes or used dishes or burnt out matches. The room had absolutely gone to ruin.

"No wonder you have to stay with me at night," the Ancient One tried to not make a face.

" _Laanvass, Ataashii_ ," Hazel nagged.

"Right," the Ancient One just averted her eyes and pretended the mess wasn't there. "Nothing special. Where's that cotton robe you wore for _Tangahshii_?"

Hazel cringed a bit at the memory, but retrieved the hanging robe from the collection hanging on the curtain rod over the window. The robe was a beautiful as ever, light blue with flowers printed into the fabric. The blue tree had given it to her specifically for _Tangahshii_. She wasn't happy with it anymore.

Hazel changed her boots and draped her robe over her clothes. Once she was ready, the Ancient One held something in her hand out to Hazel. A sling ring dangling from a leatherette cord.

" _Thank_ you?" Hazel took the cord and slipped it over her head. The Ancient One smiled before taking her own sling ring and conjuring a portal to elsewhere.

Hazel stepped through the portal after the Ancient One and immediately caught her breath. They were in a forest of blue-flowered trees, just like the one back at the sanctuary.

"What is all this?" Hazel breathed.

"It's a fortified dimension," the Ancient One replied. "Your tree can protect you at the sanctuary-imagine what an entire forest could do."

In her excitement, Hazel immediately ran to get a better look at one of the trees. It was like the one at Kamar-Taj, but it was its own tree. It shivered when it saw her, as if overjoyed to see her. Hazel beamed from ear to ear as she circled the tree and ran to another. Without thinking, in her frolicking, she transformed several times, from wolf to human to deer to wolf again. Whenever she caught sight of a bird, she'd chase after it, but not in a way that was frightening to the bird, just as she'd chase the monkeys back at the sanctuary.

The Ancient One leaned against one of the trees, breathing in this fleeting moment. Hazel was overjoyed and lighthearted. It was as if a great weight had been lifted off of her, and in that moment, the transition was so drastic that she felt like she could fly.

And then she felt it like she'd run into a brick wall. She froze in place, her legs locking in panic, when she saw something standing among the trees, watching them. Hazel froze like a deer, as if she hoped the thing didn't see her yet. She jumped when the Ancient One stepped beside her.

"Emrys," the Sorcerer Supreme greeted, her tone careful.

The thing stepped out from the shadows. It was a man, another sorcerer by the feel of him, with sharp features and an amused expression on his face. The raven perched on his shoulder let out a throaty cackle, as if laughing at Hazel for her foolishness.

"Ancient One," he bowed his head. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise," the woman forced a polite smile. She nodded to Hazel. "This is her. Hazel, this is Emrys Beltran. He's another spirit medium."

" _Niid zoorkah_?" Hazel demanded of the Ancient One. ( _Nothing SPECIAL?_ ) Emrys laughed.

"So you've taught her the dragon tongue?" Emrys asked. "What else does she know that you've withheld from your other followers?"

"I didn't teach Hazel dragon tongue," the Ancient One denied. "She already knew it. Had you actually read my letter, I'm sure you would know that."

"I read your letter," Emrys turned away, holding his fingers up to stroke his familiar. "You want me to help you save this girl."

The Ancient One nodded. Hazel tilted her head and took a step closer to the man. He glanced at her, meeting her eyes. Golden. Striking. Soft like liquid pools of amber, but cold in a way. Hard.

"Imagine, if only I knew you," he mumbled, then turned to face the Ancient One again. "Hazel Grace, is it? The Cloak of Levitation has told me about you."

"How do you know the Cloak?" Hazel asked.

"He presented himself to me when I was learning under the Ancient One," Emrys replied. "But, we were incompatible. Or, so the Ancient One thought when she refused to let me take the Cloak when I left her order."

Hazel didn't even glance at the Ancient One. This wasn't about her.

"So what do you know about me?" Hazel asked.

"I know you're a dead girl walking, and if you didn't have the Ancient One here with you, you'd probably be strung up by your own intestines, drifting down a river into an endless abyss by now."

"Emrys," the Ancient One started sharply, but Emrys disregarded her.

"You really screwed up, kid," he concluded. "But, I can see what kind of energy moves around you. I take it the sorcerers at Kamar-Taj aren't your only asset, and you can use that for a time."

"But?" Hazel prompted.

"But you're still living on borrowed time. I've participated in a _Tangahshii_ before, and it was a bloody mess behind the scenes, as was inevitable." His tone softened as he regarded both of them now. "I know you don't want to hear this, but... there _must_ be bloodshed, and there _must_ be a killing. It's the only way. Be it her or someone that's just as powerful as her."

"What if... we took someone or something weaker?" the Ancient One proposed hesitantly.

"Not good enough," Emrys shook his head. "Although, if that's what you're willing to offer, I'm sure this demon would be willing to bargain-"

"I don't bargain with monsters, Emrys. If someone of lesser power was willing, and we could train them to become as powerful as Hazel-"

"There's no time, and you can't train what Hazel has," Emrys shook his head. "That's what you've been trying to teach all of your students for a hundred years, and you could count on one hand how many of your students achieved that. And how many of them stayed with you?"

"Two," she replied coldly. "And I would sacrifice you where you stand if I thought the dream demon would take you."

Emrys seemed unfazed by her threat. "You forget what he is." Emrys turned to Hazel, then looked over her head and beyond her. "I can see him. Like an approaching wave or a traveler along the road, constantly moving towards her. He'll reach her before too long. He'd take a medium. He'd take anything that knows him like Hazel does. But you wouldn't kill me."

Hazel glanced at the Ancient One. The woman's hands shook, but her face remained calm.

"Just like you refuse to let her die," Emrys raised his eyebrows at Hazel, who continued to stare unwavering at the Ancient One's hand. Emrys followed her gaze, catching sight of the white ribbon tied around the Ancient One's wrist. Interesting.

"My suggestion?" He turned his back to them. "Find Kaecilius and sacrifice him."

"He and his Zealots are already sworn to someone else," the Ancient One argued.

"Does that matter to you?" Emrys glance over his shoulder at her. "Let the demons have their custody battle after the fact. Until then, study hard, kid. It's only a matter of time before you're enlightened like the rest of us. Like Kaecilius, Kenzo, and me? We'll see how much you love her then."

Once he was a few steps away, he disappeared. Hazel made sure of it before speaking quietly.

"He doesn't know what happened to Kenzo."

The Ancient One let out an aggravated breath Hazel hadn't realized she'd been holding.

" _Nev do slen_ ," she swore under her breath. She looked at Hazel. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure," Hazel nodded.

The Ancient One conjured a portal back to the sanctuary, and the forest was itself again.

 

**Night**

_Make a new robe for her. A nice one._

_What if I can't? If I haven't the time or money?_

_You owe it to her. She shouldn't die in that old thing she's wearing._

_So she is going to die soon?_

_A few more weeks, perhaps. She's in terrible pain. Death will release her._

"Hazel?"

Hazel jolted awake and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She rolled onto her back. She was beneath the blue tree in the courtyard, wearing her blue robe over her pajamas. Her weathered paperback copy of _The Last Unicorn_ rested in her cold hands. She quickly sat up and looked around. She was alone. How long had she been out here?

She quickly went back inside and back upstairs. Thankfully, the room was no more brightly lit than usual at night, so she assumed she wasn't missed. She shrugged out of her robe and crawled back onto her cot and under the covers. She was just about to close her eyes again when-

"Where were you for so long?"

"Outside," Hazel shrugged, as if it was a normal occurrence for her.

" _Vahzah_ ," the Ancient One sighed and turned to face her. "You were out reading to that tree again. I saw you from the astral plain."

"Yes. He's been so upset lately. The unicorn became a human and he doesn't know how to deal with it."

"I'm sure he'll understand," the Ancient One thought of the tree with a look of exasperation on her face. She knew it was depressed, but was there really call for depriving Hazel of sleep? "Go back to sleep."

 

**Dito**

Hazel, Stephen, and Kenzo stood to one side of a spread of tarot cards illuminated by a light blue candle.

"Alright," Hazel nodded, talking to another invisible Guest that had invaded the sanctuary. Stephen watched her with a searching expression. He couldn't sense the creature like she could, but that's why he was here; she needed an accountability partner. She scribbled a couple pages worth of notes into a small journal then leaned back and sighed. "Thank you for this. Now, as I promised..."

She flipped over four cards in a row, revealing their identities.

"Wheel of Fortune," Hazel read the last card. "Spend your finances wisely, and you'll succeed."

A sharp gust of wind cut through the courtyard, scattering the cards and extinguishing the candle as the Guest disappeared. Hazel huffed and gathered the cards. The cat gave her a cross meow.

"I don't care if he didn't like it," Hazel snapped. "I got what we needed."

"Are you done yet?"

Hazel jumped, dropping her cards and spinning around to the sound of the unexpected voice. The Ancient One and Mordo were standing behind her, looking over her shoulder.

"You startled me," Hazel said accusingly, moving to gather the cards again. Stephen got to his feet.

"We were just finishing up here," he said. "Hazel's Guests gave us some insight to where the demon's agents are."

"Oh?" the Ancient One stared at the light blue candle on the ground as Mordo walked around Hazel and knelt to help her gather her supplies. "Learn anything interesting?"

"No... not really," Hazel got to her feet, notepad in hand. The Ancient One held out an expectant hand, but Hazel only held the notebook closer to her, giving the other a wary look. She glanced at the other's hand to discover a bare wrist free of any binding ribbon. Hazel felt her chest tighten, but she stayed calm. She couldn't panic now, but if she could tell the others discreetly without revealing anything about the bindchain...

The thing that looked like the Ancient One raised its eyebrows, but turned away dismissively.

"Did anyone named Planchette call?"

"Planchette?" Hazel asked. "No."

Stephen gave Mordo a look of confusion and slight inquiry. Mordo nodded-he also thought the two women were acting strangely-but shrugged uncertainly. The creature stared at Hazel, a silent challenger, calculating the situation and where they were.

"Masters, I would appreciate it if you left Hazel and I alone for a moment," it said. Hazel let out a shuddering breath, trembling until she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Mordo was standing by her, looking at the monster in an estranged way.

"Of course, Ancient One," Mordo nodded, and ushered Stephen to the other side of the courtyard.

"Wait," Hazel whimpered feebly. She shook her head, trying everything in her power to not be left alone with this creature.

Once he was out of the copy's eye line, Mordo gave Hazel a reassuring look. Be brave. Remember what you've learned. Hazel had no choice. She clenched her jaw and shifted an indifferent gaze on the monster standing before her. Once Stephen saw this exchange, he understood what Mordo was planning. Once the two men were inside and out of earshot, Stephen spoke almost frantically.

"She called me master," he said.

"Yes; it's not the Ancient One," Mordo nodded. "But if that thing is out there, the real Sorcerer Supreme is still here somewhere. I'll go find her; you keep an eye on them. If that thing is powerful enough to impersonate the Ancient One, I'm not sure if Hazel can hold her own. Don't interrupt unless they start fighting; we need to keep it in a neutral state as long as possible."

"Right," Stephen nodded and kept to the shadows where he could watch the exchange in the courtyard.

"What's with that look?" the doppelganger asked. Hazel continued to glare.

"What look?" she shrugged. "I'm just a bit tired."

"I don't know how you could be. You sleep nine hours a day, and with our current"-slender hands moved to Hazel's collar-"... _arrangement_ -"

"Fuck you!" Hazel spat, throwing the hands away. The copy slapped her.

Stephen flinched. She provoked it! What was she thinking?

The copy sighed and clenched a fist as it watched Hazel cradle her stinging cheek.

"I _had_ intended to be discreet about all this," it hissed.

Hazel chuckled and staggered back a few steps. When she looked up again, she was grinning.

"What's with that look?" Hazel mocked. Only then did the monster see her grasping the white ribbon tied to her wrist. The creature stared at Hazel with wide eyes.

"You-"

The ground beneath them trembled briefly as the world transitioned into a contained state of bent reality. The mirror dimension.

" _Dito_ ," a feminine voice called from the other side of the courtyard. The doppelganger was compelled by the sound of its true name.

Hazel felt relief overwhelm her when she saw the Ancient One standing across from them. The creature shrank, momentarily considering engaging the Sorcerer Supreme in battle. It stepped back. Hazel was allowed to easily walk around the beast and join the Ancient One. When Hazel looked back at their otherworldly adversary, the creature understood the collective power the two sorcerers had. And it knew it had no choice.

The doppelganger bolted, turning and heading for the darkest doorway into the sanctuary. However, just as it was about to reach the shadows, the courtyard stretched. The entryway slid farther and farther away as the doppelganger felt the ground beneath its feet shift backwards. It staggered until it fell to its knees, then it turned around to stare at the Ancient One and her apprentice with desperate fear. The Ancient One was moving the environment, dragging the tiles under the doppelganger closer to her, whilst Hazel was conjuring a trap seal in midair. Once the doppelganger was within a couple feet, Hazel tipped the seal onto the ground and held it there for a brief moment. The spell bound to the stone, and the doppelganger was powerless and trapped.

The Ancient One appraised the creature with an unsatisfied frown. It was as if finding a clone of herself caught in a trap was a daily procedure for her and lost its luster a long time ago. She seemed much more interesting in scolding Hazel, at the moment.

"Was that the best you could do?" the Ancient One demanded of the girl. "You shouldn't have provoked it like that."

"Well, where were you?" Hazel demanded.

"In the library," the Ancient One's gaze returned to the doppelganger, who flinched and curled up on the other side of the seal, as far away from the real Ancient One as possible. "Look at that. It couldn't even get my eyes right. _Haalaan_ , I've very disappointed in these doppelgangers. Look, the collar of its robes is backwards, it doesn't have a sling ring or knife, and it's dreadfully plain. I'd be surprised if it could truly fool one master here."

As she spoke, the doppelganger lost its foreign form. It no longer looked like the Ancient One, but a sickly thin, grey-skinned, hairless, nailless, humanoid creature with beady black eyes and rows of pointed teeth. Still, for how simultaneously pathetic and horrifying it looked, it was more afraid of Hazel and the Ancient One than they were of it.

Hazel shifted nervously. " _Giin_..."

"We'll talk about this later," the Ancient One dismissed her. She glanced at Hazel one last time. "You did well, Hazel. Go back inside and find the others; tell them what happened. Leave me to deal with this."

Hazel nodded and conjured a sling ring portal out of the mirror dimension. She had no interest in being here. The Ancient One turned to the monster again. It spoke in a shrill, rasping voice.

"Release me," it said.

"I don't think you're in a position to be making demands," she said. "I'll decide what to do with you, only after you tell me the name of your master."

It seethed quietly. " _Vokuma..."_

"No," the Ancient One shook her head. "Give me your master's name."

" _Vokuma..._ "

"Stop that."

After another fruitless moment, the Ancient One sighed and raised a hand, curling her fingers slowly. The monster threw its head back with a wet howl of pain as its back forcefully arched and its ribs began twisting unnaturally. The Ancient One only spoke over its screams.

"Tell me your master's name," she demanded.

She opened her fist with a flick, and the doppelganger recoiled on the cold stone beneath it, panting so heavily its entire body shook.

"The name," the Ancient One reminded it. "Or you won't be released, you won't be healed, and you won't be killed under any circumstances."

It was trembling as it raised its head again. It crawled closer, now glaring bravely at the Sorcerer Supreme. It looked like the Ancient One again, but now its body was covered in black runes and lines of Sanskrit. A chain of blood red prayer beads wrapped arounds its arms as if to restrain them. The creature reached out for the Ancient One, splaying both hands out in a mocking grabbing motion. The Sorcerer Supreme watched it with a bored expression on her face.

"His name..." it rasped. " _Oriishii_. He knows you, _Vokuma,_ more than you could ever anticipate..."

The Ancient One turned away from it and flicked her hand indifferently. The creature turned to ash and disappeared. It smelled like burnt leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You are so afraid of losing yourself... that you're just giving yourself away," is a bastardization of a quote from Channel Zero: Butcher's Block.  
> The 'robes' exchange is from Memoirs of a Geisha.  
> Dito- "Two" + "Being"  
> Vokuma - "being of darkness"
> 
> Sorry about the haitus. I had to rewrite this entire chapter with entirely new scenes and concepts, and it kinda wore me out.


	16. Akuma

**Akuma**

The Masters of the Mystic Arts were on edge over the next couple of days. They were wary of Hazel and wary of each other. They still had little to no idea what they were going to do to sate the Main Guest, and the Guests were getting stronger with each passing minute. But they still had hope. The Guests were still afraid of the Sorcerer Supreme, and any attempt they'd made to take Hazel away so far was thwarted. Perhaps Hazel was getting stronger than her Guests.

The possibility was a small comfort. For a time.

_It's simpler than you think._

"What's that?" Hazel raised her head. The Ancient One glanced back at her with a confused look.

"I'm sorry?"

"Didn't you say something?" Hazel's eyebrows drew together and tilted her head.

The ground trembled. Hazel and the Ancient One turned to look out the open doorway to the courtyard, where the rows of spellcasting students began to scatter as the wall on the other side of the plaza began to crack and contort, revealing a black, outreaching mass of mist and root. A figure burst forth from the wreckage-a hulking, grotesque, writhing, hexapedal monster with paws the size of dinner plates and an overwhelming amount of worm-like protrusions all over its head, shoulders, and back. Its countless eyes glowed in varying shades of green, yellow, and blue as it searched the courtyard of acolytes. It reeled its head back and let out a loud, long roar like a wolf howling at the moon.

" _Kul do vekah_ ," Hazel swore under her breath as the Ancient One took her arm and pulled her deeper into the sanctuary, out of the intruder's sight. " _Giin_ , what do we do?"

"Go upstairs," the Ancient One instructed firmly, slipping the ribbon bindchain off her wrist and giving it to Hazel. "Hide. Don't let anyone find you, _mindoran_?"

"Wha-no!" Hazel gripped the other's wrist. "You're not thinking of fighting that thing without me, are you? You have no idea what it can-"

"I don't need to know what it can do to know that if it finds you, it _will kill you_." The Ancient One pulled her arm out of Hazel's grasp. "Please, _Haalaan_. Just do as I say."

Hazel reluctantly turned away and began moving slowly, as if she was minding her own business. The Ancient One let out a tiny sigh of relief before heading back to the courtyard. The acolytes were already conjuring shields and spells alongside the masters; they were strong in mind and body, and refused to give their home up without a fight. However, when the Ancient One appeared in the courtyard, she gave Mordo a meaningful look.

"They need to get inside," she said, not needing to indicate the acolytes.

Mordo nodded and began shouting orders for the acolytes to retreat inside and let the masters handle this. If this otherworldly horror touched a single one of them, they were at risk to be taken by the Main Guest. They were losing enough as it is.

"Go to the other sanctuaries and warn the other masters," Mordo ordered, driving even the most reluctant of acolytes to retreat. With him, the Ancient One, and the other resident masters at Kamar-Taj fighting, the sanctuary's defenses were compromised. They needed the masters of the other sanctums to be alert and forewarned of any possible attack.

Once the acolytes were safely away, the Ancient One faced the beast. It paid her little mind at first, keeping its head low to the ground as the tendrils around its face tapped the ground tentatively. Once it noticed her, it wheeled around and growled at her. She felt cold all the way through. Just before it charged at her, the world around them began to refract like panes of glass.

Before it could reach her, the Ancient One held her hands out, pushing the ground that the beast was running on farther and farther away. The courtyard distorted and expanded, allowing adequate room to fight such a beast. The other masters stood at certain intervals of the space, surrounding the beast to ensure it couldn't flee or attack unhindered. The creature froze in place and looked about skeptically before uttering a curse in a deep, gnarled voice.

" _Unslaad tiiraaz._ "

"So you can speak," the Ancient One said. "For a moment, I suspected _Oriishii_ just sent a dumb animal to collect his dues. Had you greeted me properly, I'm sure we could've settled this more peacefully."

" _Oriishii ni koga yah_ ," he growled. _Oriishii doesn't like playing games._ "The girl. Where is she?"

"She's not here, I'm afraid," the Ancient One replied. It wasn't technically a lie. They were in the mirror dimension, and Hazel was hiding elsewhere.

" _Drehni med mey!_ " the monster's growl echoed around the space they shared. _Don't be a fool._

"Please reconsider. _Daargein ni paar krif hi._ "

_I don't want to fight you._

" _Losei_ Ancient One..." Its tendrils writhed in tune with the rumble of laughter that rattled the ribs of the beast. " _Oriishii_ will take a sacrifice of your... caliber."

The Ancient One frowned. "That's too bad."

When the beast charged at her, the other masters moved as well. They conjured weapons and spells to fight it from afar; they couldn't let the beast touch them. None of them were willing to see where it would take them or if they'd be able to escape back to their own reality. That put them at a disadvantage, but the masters did what they could. A couple masters conjured whips to bind the creature's legs from afar, whilst others conjured shields and seals to throw at the beast.

The spells only had temporary effect on the beast. Its coat of fur and tentacles was barely affected by the Eldritch weapons, so the creature easily tugged out of its confines. It was quicker than they expected, but its size made it clumsy and less maneuverable. Whenever a shield or seal struck it, the creature bled a black, viscous oil that splattered on the stone ground like ink. The beast's protrusions grew and shrank in random patterns, and whenever one was severed from the body, it writhed on the ground before dissolving entirely, then more protrusions grew on the beast's body to replace it. Aside from the blood, there was little indication they were harming the creature at all.

The creature spun in a quick circle, and those within range were thrown aside by its long, swinging tail. Now free of distraction for a short moment, it turned on the Ancient One. Suddenly-more suddenly than the Ancient One had expected-the beast was not two feet from her. (How did it get there so quickly? Did it teleport itself?) The Ancient One tried to conjure a shield to protect herself, but found that the manipulated energy wouldn't appear. (What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she conjure anything?!)

She didn't have time to react before the beast snatched her right arm in its jaws and slammed her back against the wall of the sanctuary. The superfluous appendages at the beast's head and neck wrapped viciously around her arm and torso. She felt hundreds of sharp bolts of pain surging up her arm and through her chest as the bones in its grasp shattered. Through the haze of pain, she could see the delicate and already-dissipating devil trap seal on the ground right where she had been standing. The Guests learned and Hazel did not.

The other masters were shouting. The Ancient One couldn't hear them over the creature's husky breathing and the unbearable ringing in her ears, but she knew. What disciple of hers wouldn't be visibly horrified to see their leader tackled and broken in an instant by some Lovecraftian horror? The creature began speaking in a low voice, the vibration of its growling vocal chords sending more agonizing tremors through the Ancient One's broken bones.

" _Siivhi_ ," it murmured, drawing each syllable out as long as it could. Its eyes rolled and watered in their sockets. It was truly overjoyed at its kill.

The woman fought to stay conscious. Her free hand trembled rigidly as she grasped at the creature's muzzle, trying to pry it away. She couldn't let this happen. If she could even stall the beast for one moment, maybe enough strength will return to her so she could-if only the other masters weren't watching!

She didn't get a chance to do anything before the beast suddenly, inexplicably, released her. It reared up and back, squealing in pain. It turned on its heel and thrashed, throwing something off its back-a wolf! The large grey wolf landed in front of the Ancient One, still facing the beast, and let out a warning snarl.

"Hazel!" the Ancient One breathed.

The creature lunged at Hazel, attempting to grab her just as it had the Ancient One, but the girl dodged out of the way and conjured a glowing shield to throw at the beast. Though she was dwarfed by the horror, Hazel fought fearlessly, disregarding any warning about not touching the beast. She was already claimed. What did it matter if it touched her? She leapt on its back, thrashed against its mass of antennae, using conjured weapons to cut through the coat to the flesh and bone of the creature's back and neck.

The beast reared again, this time throwing itself on its back. Luckily for Hazel, although she did slam against the ground at a bad angle, the remaining antennae cushioned the beast's fall so it didn't crush her. As it struggled to roll upright again, Hazel darted out from beneath it and ran a couple paces to the regroup with the Ancient One.

Hazel shifted to human form and used this opportunity to assess the others. The masters focused on the beast, their resolve restored, and the Ancient One was back on her feet.

" _Hi pruzah_?" Hazel demanded. _You good?_

When she didn't get an answer, she looked at the elder. The Ancient One had her hood up, hiding her face. To Hazel's shock, the woman moved quickly, raising both hands in quick, complicated gestures to reorganize the courtyard again. Hazel could almost feel it as the Ancient One's bones inexplicably righted and fused. The Sorcerer Supreme was not going to allow the beast to hurt anyone else.

The courtyard broke into pieces that crumbled or floated away. In between these platforms was an endless void the color of an overcast sky. The ground where each master stood broke away in small increments large enough to hold only one master, and these platforms elevated out of the beast's reach. The largest part of the courtyard that still contained the beast slowly crumbled from the outside edges, making the area smaller and farther from other surfaces. The hostile creature wheeled around and clawed at the ground anxiously as the tables turned out of its favor. Its furious gaze settled on the platform where Hazel and the Ancient One stood.

"What are we doing?" Hazel demanded anxiously. "What can I do to help?"

"You've done enough," the Ancient One's hand shot out, and the ground beneath them was severed down the middle, and Hazel was flung far out of reach.

" _Giin_!" the girl protested.

She could only watch helplessly as the masters began levitating around the beast on their own platforms. They launched spell after spell, one projectile weapon after another at the creature. The monster turned and flinched every time it was hit; it wasn't significantly harmed, but it was growing more agitated by the moment.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Mordo shouted to the Ancient One.

The woman wouldn't look at him. She extended her hands, palms facing up, and summoned spikes of misty, black stone to protrude from the ground around the beast and surround it like a jagged, tight fence. The monster crouched and twisted as more shards conjured within the ring, closing in on the beast. Its limbs began to tangle and catch between the shards until the beast was restrained by its six limbs and neck. It was finally vulnerable. It writhed for a short time, its struggles slowing as it realized the stones holding it were not from this dimension and they would not crumble so easily.

"Stop struggling," the Ancient One commanded. "What little you just learned is pointless against your bindings."

" _Unslaad tiiraaz!_ " the beast roared at her. Fragments of its being seemed to slip between the cracks of its cage, but it remained anchored there by something otherworldly. "Of all sorcerers who reject the old ways... we never expected you to be among them."

"The old ways are lost," the Ancient One replied indifferently. "Which is why I'm willing to release you and return you to your home dimension."

The lupine head of the creature rose at the proposition.

"On the condition this serves as a warning to your kind and your clan," she raised a twisted hand to her chest, prepared to drop the restraining stones. "We know our deadline and will return a sacrifice to you then. Don't send anyone else before then. Do I have your word?"

The beast lowered its head in a resigned curve. " _Orishii_ is a resentful slave of whim..."

The Ancient One waited. As long as it took. If she could resolve this without provoking Orishii by destroying another one of his own, she would. The creature deliberated for a moment more and shifted. It had sighed.

The monster raised its head. "It will be done-"

Before it could finish, another spike-this one conjured of the same mundane ground the beast stood on-shot up from the ground and drove straight through the creature's skull. The creature's body fell limp and listless. The Ancient One looked around at the other masters in disbelief and frustration, scanning to see who ruined her chance at avoiding bloodshed. However, when the Ancient One finally turned around, she saw Hazel standing where she'd been left, a hand folded and poised at her chest. Hazel put her hand down at once, shoulders sagging and lungs heaving as the physical toll of such a spell weighed on her. Before she collapsed, she saw a flash of the Ancient One's eyes, just her eyes....

 

**Exalted**

Hazel saw her again-elegant and glittering silver like a serpent with feathered wings. The dragon Ancient One. The distant sunset painted the clouds thoughtful shades of yellowish-orange and moody grey. Even among the magnificent view, the dragon Ancient One outshone it all as she drifted and glided through the drafts and air currents in the clouds. Then, out of nowhere, the clouds turned pitch black and sprouted flailing arms. One of these arms reached for the Ancient One, taking her right wing and crushing it like a scrap of paper. The dragon curled in midair and let out an ear-piercing, gut-wrenching scream.

 

Hazel's eyes were full of tears when she bolted upright in bed. She looked around frantically, so used to waking up and the Ancient One being in a bed across the room from her. Now, she was in the healer's ward, and the cat was curled up sleeping on the bed right beside her. Upon realizing she was alone, Hazel rubbed her eyes dry and recounted the last thing she could remember. The Ancient One had been hurt-where was she? Hazel reached for her wrist, but when she couldn't find the ribbon she remembered; the Ancient One had broken the bindchain spell.

She couldn't stay here. Hazel kicked her legs out of bed and began searching the sanctuary for a friend-for her _Giin_.

 

The Masters of the Mystic Arts sat around a low table in a secluded, candle-lit room. They'd been rallied in a moment of peace to prepare for the possible onslaught from Oriishii. They discussed current events late into the night.

"Miss Dutch is a medium," Wong recalled. "As well as Elias and Ishmael-"

"You're not _suggesting_ we sacrifice one of our acolytes?" Tina demanded.

" _No_ ," Wong replied. "But if more spirit mediums examine the situation, they might discover a solution that we're overlooking."

Master Junzo interjected. "And do away with the discretion we've had regarding Hazel's case thus far?"

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind by now if everyone in our order knows what she's done," Wong argued. "Her peers have already alienated her almost entirely. If you had to teach her in a class, you'd see it. Master Tashi?"

Tashi stared at the table thoughtfully. "She was never made to fit in a place like this. You know that. She's fled Kamar-Taj more than once."

"If she doesn't want the help of the Order, why is she still here?" Grem asked.

"It wasn't the Order she was fleeing," Mordo explained. "She doesn't forsake our teachings, even though she's worked outside the natural law. She returned because she wanted to correct her mistakes, and we're trying to allow that."

"There's nothing to correct if she's made a blood oath," Percival dismissed. "Exacerbating the issue will only put us in danger. Our world is at risk because of her carelessness. I disagreed with Master Junzo the last time we held a council over this situation, but Hazel Grace has no place in our dimension anymore. Let's just let the demon take her and brush this under the rug. We can't afford any alternatives."

"And what will we tell her family?" Daniel Drumm demanded. He was the only master who'd met any of Hazel's relations face to face, but he knew she had a place in her native world of the mundane-a world that she was expected to return to at the end of the summer. "What place do we have to take a seventeen year old girl away from her world-"

"Nineteen," the Ancient One finally spoke, quietly and coldly and in a manner so isolated yet compelling that the others fell silent. She glanced around the room and clarified quietly. "Hazel's nineteen."

It was a meaningless detail, but the others took it into account. The masters of the other sanctums hadn't yet realized how the Ancient One regarded Hazel. The masters were silent for a moment, but restlessly so as they considered their next words.

"Tell us about this binding ritual once more," Sol Rama asked. "Maybe we're overlooking something-"

"The dream demon requires a ritual offering of equal value to Hazel Grace," Master Hamir said it almost impatiently. "It's been over a month now, and not only is this demon getting impatient, but his agents are now strong enough to breach the wards and issue attacks against the sanctuary."

Mordo heaved a sigh and tilted his head to look at the Ancient One. It was unlike her to be so silent during an important meeting. Of course, she'd already thought this issue to death and if anyone here could provide a solution, it was her. He wondered if she was still feeling ill. Kai had checked her wounds, but the broken bones she'd sustained during the battle had miraculously healed themselves. A hiccup, Kai had called it, as if wounds inflicted by an entity of the dream dimension weren't always real. The Ancient One let them think that and drew little attention to herself after that.

Now, she only pretended to listen to the others bickering as she thought obsessively over something unrelated to the ritual. She wasn't angry with Hazel anymore. Hazel had screwed them over several times today, but she did so out of self-preservation... and a stupid need to protect the Ancient One. The Sorcerer Supreme tried to be grateful, but she was suspicious and a little worried now. How had Hazel manipulated the world like that without any training? She acted like she was only mimicking the Ancient One, but something like that, especially at such speed, took practice. Sure, the beast was probably learning as it was bound, and Hazel could've been learning from the beast like a sort of hive mind...

The Ancient One remembered the look on Hazel's face, stern and unwavering. She _couldn't_ have channeled energy from the Dark Dimension without anyone else _seeing_. Besides, if she had, which she hadn't because she couldn't, the spire she summoned wouldn't have been made of stone; it would've been made out of matter from the Dark Dimension like all the others that the Ancient One herself conjured. There hadn't been a mark on her forehead either, that was for certain. But if Hazel was able to hide parts of herself in plain sight, there was a chance...

"Ancient One?"

She looked up. Mordo was looking at her expectantly, as if he'd asked her something.

"You said something about a deadline," Junzo reiterated softly.

The Ancient One sighed and picked up her cup of tea calmly. Maybe she was overthinking everything. "A few of Hazel's Guests have been gathering information for us. If we don't turn in a sacrifice by Lammas, I'm sure the onslaught will make this afternoon look like child's play. The first of August is our deadline-harvest day."

"That's three days from now!" Percival started. "If we don't find a suitable offering by then, the world would be in immediate, unpredictable danger."

"Yes," the Ancient One nodded. "I'd hate for it to come to that."

"Then why don't we-"

The Masters abruptly fell silent when an uninvited guest entered their midst. A girl in grey pajamas. She lurched tiredly on her feet, staring at the Ancient One as if the others weren't even there. Her impertinence knew no bounds.

" _Krif praal_?" the Ancient One asked quietly with a tilt of her head. The others were again startled by how much she seemed to change in a hundred little ways, just by speaking in her own special language. Hazel replied in a common language for once.

"I was worried about you."

What a thing to say at a time like this. The Ancient One leaned back with a small sigh.

"Can you wait outside for a moment? I'll be done soon."

"She doesn't have to," Tina surprised herself and the others when she spoke up. She'd only said so because they all knew Hazel's special case and how it affected her. Plus, it was true that Hazel didn't have to leave. "I mean, we're not talking about anything she hasn't already heard, right? And this concerns her more than anyone."

The Ancient One's eyes searched the room for any objection. She hadn't expected the masters to take to Hazel like this. However, now, all she received were nods of affirmation. Perhaps they pitied her, the dying girl.

The Sorcerer Supreme sighed again and waved Hazel over. Chagrin accompanied her relief; she didn't think of how Hazel would curl up right next to her and lean on her shoulder. However, the Ancient One was always one to maintain poise in the strangest of situations, so she simply put an arm around Hazel and addressed the masters once more. The gesture was simple, but it showed the other masters the real reason the Ancient One fought so hard to keep this one student alive even though she had committed a terrible crime.

"We'll continue monitoring the situation," she decided, ignoring as Hazel reached for her teacup and took a generous sip or two. "We'll find a sacrifice. Perhaps someone will be willing."

"Wasn't Mia a spirit medium?" Percival offered.

"Didn't Mia forsake our teachings when Kaecilius recruited her?" Wong asked, mimicking Percival's tone.

"That makes her a suitable candidate," Percival insisted. Mordo glanced at the Ancient One again. She was listening intently, sitting up straighter, like she was fully invested in the conversation again. Beside her, Hazel tilted her head ever so slightly, looking pointedly at the Ancient One's right hand.

"She's already sworn to Dormammu," the Ancient One warned and, without even consciously realizing it, moved her right hand over to offer it to Hazel. Hazel took it gingerly and began checking it over-probably ensuring the Ancient One wasn't fibbing about being miraculously healed.

Mordo wasn't sure whether he was jealous, proud, or disconcerted.

"Well, Dormammu's got a lot of followers these days," Hazel spoke up. "He might not miss one. But he and Oriishii are kinda having a pissing battle right now. I don't know if Oriishii will accept it."

"Besides," Mordo spoke, reluctantly tearing his eyes away from the two sitting beside him. "We can hardly keep track of the Zealots as it is. There's no guarentee we could find them in three days."

"We should try," Tina persisted. Mordo wasn't the only one who'd seen the unconscious exchange between the Ancient One and Hazel.

"And what if we're successful?" Percival demanded. "The demon will relent, but what about us? Are the masters of the mystic arts really just going to forgive her after all the trouble she's caused-all the rules she's broken?"

"What would you rather do?" the Ancient One glared at Percival. The others were deathly still as she continued, voice low with unspoken warning. "She's a child. She made a mistake, she learned from it, and she won't do it again. What more do you want from her?"

Percival's mouth opened and closed a couple times. He felt arrogant to look her in the eye, so he averted his gaze. The words returned to him when his eyes settled on the girl sitting so close to the Ancient One.

"A promise." Percival's tone was even and icy.

Hazel didn't look up. For a moment, she seemed to ignore them as she thoroughly and devoutly traced the lines in the Ancient One's palm. She was too tired to express it, but the Ancient One's words truly shook her. But she knew there was only one way out of this.

"Just forget it. I'll do it," she whispered. Had the room not been silenced by the former tension, no one would've heard her at all. She raised her head, strands of greasy hair falling aside to delicately frame her expression of resolve. "Kill me, and leave me in the wheat field where I first performed the ritual."

The others couldn't say anything in response to that. They expected Hazel to throw a fit at the idea, screaming or crying or demanding why this was truly the best they-the _Masters of the Mystic Arts_ -could do. But it never came. But an argument was still inevitable.

 _"Hazel_ ," the Ancient One pronounced her name very deliberately, accentuating each syllable as if she could bind the girl with that alone. " _Drehni med mey._ "

"Is it foolish, truly?" Hazel turned on her, turning to face just the Sorcerer Supreme. "What do you think we can do? Even if we find another, Oriishii and I are bound. Even if my debt is paid, I will never be without a link to a demon. Who cares if you forgive me? And if Oriishii is truly taken by the Dark Dimension, then I am breaking every rule you've given me."

" _Oblaan_ ," the Ancient One gripped the girl's wrist quickly to silence her. She was revealing too much. "Don't be careless. We'll sort this. We still have time."

"And what if we do?" Hazel continued. "Do you honestly believe I could stay here?" She glanced at the other masters in the room briefly before lowering her voice and giving the Ancient One a sympathetic, pleading look. " _Daargein nii unslaad daal._ Percival's right; I'm just an eyesore. When I'm gone, you can forget all about it."

"And what about your family? What are we supposed to tell them?"

"You don't have to tell them anything," Hazel replied. "Just send them a pic of a sunset and forge a letter that I ran off with a boy. I'm nineteen; nothing legal is expected of them."

"They'll still look for you."

"Oh?" Hazel raised her eyebrows. "Like they've been looking for me all summer? Maybe you haven't realized something, but my parents aren't the most attentive of me. They won't look for me, _Giin_."

"Don't call me that if you're going to lie to me."

Hazel and the Ancient One stared at each other, each unwavering and persuasive in their own intent.

" _Giin_ ," Hazel repeated softly, taking the other's hand off her wrist and holding it. "We're out of excuses, and we're out of time. I'm willing to do this."

The Ancient One didn't speak, but Mordo cautiously regarded Hazel.

"And you're willing to die?" he asked.

"What is death, really?" Hazel asked. "Will Kaecilius die when Dormammu takes him? These other entities... don't work like that. I'll still be alive somewhere. I just... won't be here anymore. That's all."

"You'll be in Oriishii's domain. Permanently," the Ancient One warned. "The frightening place you're taken to in your sleep, where they torment you. Are you willing to go to hell for all you've done, really?"

Hazel looked at the table. Perhaps she was finally losing her nerve.

"It's not all bad," she murmured. "That creature was full of it when he said Oriishii doesn't like games. What do you think we've been doing all this time? And the copy said something about Planchette. There are Guests under Oriishii that don't hurt me. It's a matter of perspective, I think. You act like I'm going to the Dark Dimension, but that's not what Oriishii is."

She tentatively looked up. The Ancient One wasn't looking at her anymore, only gazing vaguely elsewhere. Hazel was right. The Ancient One sometimes forgot who they were fighting. Still, the very idea the girl would just give up everything they've worked for-

 _"Haalaan_ ," she breathed. She had to fight. " _Hi fen krif. Hi fen_ -"

" _Niid_ ," Hazel shook her head.

" _Hi unslaad krif! Daan dreh daargein grah hi fah?_ " ( _You have to fight! If you don't, what did I bind you for?_ )

Hazel's eyes were momentarily bleary with fear. However, she composed herself. "You won't die if anything happens to me."

The Ancient One hated her own words turned against her. Her hands shook. Hazel took her hands again, more firmly this time.

 _"Giin_ ," she murmured, her gaze passive and almost sympathetic. "It's alright. I know I can make peace with this. I will do this because I have to."

The others were resigned, but they were far from comforted by Hazel's words. She'd truly evolved since coming to Kamar-Taj.

 

**Last Night**

Hazel didn't even try to stay in her own room tonight. She was resigned to her fate, for lack of a better phrase, but she still longed for comfort in her last nights. As a result, that evening, Hazel found herself in the Ancient One's private chamber again as soon as the sun went down. Hazel knelt at the foot of her pallet, playing her shamisen quietly as the Ancient One performed ceremonial steps in the center of the room. The Ancient One used to do this at night or late afternoon during the lull of the day, but since getting so involved with Hazel, she did this almost first thing in the morning to make up for the chaos every night brought. Hazel suspected she was doing it now because she was more affected by the events of the day than she'd let on.

The floating candles seemed to stare at Hazel, but she wasn't sure if they were irritated at the noise she was making or intently egging her on. She played a few more quiet notes and set the shamisen aside, instead turning to the small pile of stuff she'd accumulated over the last few weeks of staying the nights here. A faux-fur blanket from her room, a worn pink elephant t-shirt to cover her pillow, her cellphone and charger, a set of headphones, and the current book she'd been reading. Beside the pile, the cat lied on its stomach and kneaded the edge of the fur blanket. Hazel lied on her stomach and flipped through a few pages of _The Last Unicorn_ , seeing words but reading nothing.

A few minutes later, the Ancient One sat beside Hazel and ran her slim fingers through Hazel's hair. Hazel turned her head slightly, deliberately avoiding the elder's gaze. The Ancient One stared past Hazel at the book she was reading.

"What are you reading?"

Hazel closed the book and pushed it closer to the Ancient One before folding her arms under her chin and staring moodily at the wall. The Ancient One skimmed the covers of the book, but they didn't hold her interest. When she looked back at Hazel, the girl was stroking the cat and watching it purr and close its eyes and lean into her touch.

Hazel spoke quietly. " _Giin_ , can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" She lowered herself to recline beside Hazel, one hand still tugging at Hazel's black hair.

"Can you finish that book for me? Can you read the rest of it to the tree and the cat?"

"Of course, _Haalaan._ "

Hazel took a deep breath, but it seemed to be more of a calming gesture than one of relief. The Ancient One knew Hazel's words during the meeting were those of temporary courage. She actually struggled with the idea of dying-who doesn't, at one point or another? If the Ancient One hadn't been the same way centuries ago, she would've been dead by now, probably.

Hazel keeled over and inched closer to the woman. She wanted to be coddled, just for now.

"Am I a bad person?"

"I think that depends on your definition of bad."

"Oh... I'm sorry I hurt you."

"What are you-" Oh. The broken bones. "Hazel, that was hardly your fault. I'm fine."

"But it was my fault," Hazel insisted. "That's why I have to go. If my Guests could kill you, imagine what they would do to the world. The Masters of the Mystic Arts would be left in shambles, and I can't stand to be their undoing."

The Ancient One scrutinized her. "So you're truly willing to die?"

"Yes," Hazel nodded.

The Ancient One sat up momentarily to retrieve the book Hazel had been reading. She knew that dwelling on it wasn't ideal for the girl. They were better of doing anything else, even if it was inane.

"Will you read to me?" she asked, handing the book to the girl.

"Sure," Hazel smiled and flipped to the front page again.

"You don't need to do that," the Ancient One began, but Hazel shook her head.

"But I want to," she insisted. "It's best from the beginning, trust me."

The Ancient One didn't argue and instead wrapped her arms around Hazel and looked over her shoulder at the words on the page. "Alright."

Hazel's smile widened as she began reading, her voice soft and deliberate and captivating, as it always was when she told a story she loved to tell. The room seemed to shrink as if the candles drifted closer, or the walls leaned in to better attend her performance.

" _The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she was alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I know this is a serious chapter, but all I could think while writing it is "the real Hazel would never pass up an opportunity to die!" and I just wanted the chapter summary to be "My fursona makes an appearance.")


	17. Tribute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A debt is paid.

**The Bad Ending**

When Hazel was taken, the sanctuary withered. The windows were always dark, as if they'd covered themselves up. From the outside, a window would look like a gaze turned inward. Candles and incense would no longer burn, and the rooms and corridors were constantly cold. And then the plant life wilted to gnarled vines and thorns and overtook the sanctuary.

It would've looked better torn down.

The Ancient One was still holding Hazel when she woke with a start. They were both still on Hazel's cot, and Hazel herself had turned in and fallen asleep hours ago. She seemed to be resting peacefully, at least. However, the Ancient One couldn't be put at ease after that dream. It was a vision. Surely, not a literal one; the masters wouldn't allow Kamar-Taj to fall into such disrepair, but the sanctuary was as unhappy with the current circumstances as anyone, and reasonably so. It loved Hazel Grace.

The cat was the other to awaken that night to the sound of a match striking. Kenzo blearily lifted his head to see the Ancient One kneeling by the dark window in front of a spread of light pink candles and tea.

"We'll survive this, dear," the Ancient One whispered. She gently pressed her hand against the wood paneling on the walls. "We've seen worse."

Kenzo's whiskers twitched, and for a brief moment, he thought a breach had woken her. However, regardless of how powerful it was, the Main Guest was not here tonight, as he might not be for several nights, but he was still resolute in his demand for a sacrifice. Kenzo sat up when he heard music from within the sanctuary-a melancholy tune accompanied by a voice that sounded eerily like Hazel herself.

The cat looked down at the sleeping girl beside him. She'd be safe by herself tonight.

**Mystic Letter**

The next morning at breakfast, Hazel was quieter than usual, but an air of tension that the others had anticipated was absent. Actually, things felt a lot lighter this morning compared to the mornings of the last couple weeks. Perhaps it was from relief of an approaching end, or maybe Hazel being at peace with her fate was enough to put spirits at ease.

"How are you feeling this morning, Hazel?" Wong was brave enough to ask.

"I slept really well, actually," Hazel replied, then gave a genuine smile. "Suspicious, don't you think? I dreamed I was flying."

Then she glanced at the Ancient One in a familiar way, but the Sorcerer Supreme only smiled and nodded to humor her. Maybe it was just a dream after all.

The rest of the day was a melancholy kind of busy. Hazel attended her classes as if nothing was amiss. Her peers chattered about the thing that broke into Kamar-Taj, but luckily, no one had linked it back to Hazel. Regardless, whenever anyone did want her opinion on it, Hazel simply lied and said she hadn't gotten a good look at it. She felt sick to her stomach.

She felt bad lying about it, but she didn't have faith in her peers to treat her the same if she told them what she'd done. She also procrastinated calling home to tell anyone what was going on. How would she explain it? "I'm just going to stay here; I have a great job in Kathmandu now. Don't talk to me again." And if any of her peers at Kamar-Taj noticed her absence, the masters would tell them she'd gone back home.

She didn't worry about it too much, but Hazel was still stuck between believing she was going to die and pretending that she wasn't. It was a surprisingly peaceful limbo. Regardless, she needed to make arrangements, so she acted like it was just another job she had to do.

"Is there anything else you need?" she asked the Ancient One as she served her a cup of tea.

"No, thank you," the Ancient One replied quietly. "What will you be doing with the rest of your afternoon?"

"Nothing much. What about you?"

The Ancient One briefly debated telling her. "... I'll be speaking with Kai about a few things regarding the ritual. I think with his medical knowledge, we'd be able to make things... easier."

"Oh, I appreciate that, thank you," Hazel nodded and got to her feet. "I'll go talk to him. Don't worry about it."

The woman grimaced. "You don't have to. Let me speak with him, please."

"Don't be silly," Hazel smiled. "I'm doing this for you. You know that, right?"

The Ancient One averted her gaze.

"It'll be okay," Hazel said before leaving quietly.

On her way to the healer's ward, Stephen found her. He was relieved to see her. He'd only caught glimpses of her since the breach, but he hadn't gotten a chance to speak with her yet.

"Thank god you're alright," he started as he headed towards her. Hazel gave him a wane smile, more out of guilt than anything else. He surprised her by bringing her into a brief hug, only for a moment. After he pulled back, he stared at her sternly. "What happened during the breach? The Ancient One said you got hurt."

Hazel took a breath to calm him and herself.

"We need to talk," she said quietly. "The Main Guest got me. I'm going with him on the first."

"You're-" he gave her an incredulous look. "What does that mean? You're just going to astral project away and never come back? There's no way the Ancient One would-"

"Keep your voice down," Hazel hissed as Stephen turned away from her with his hands raised in frustration. He couldn't have said it if he wanted. When he turned back to her, his voice was low.

"After all that's been done for you, you're just giving up?!"

"It's not like that exactly," Hazel tried to calm him. "I wasn't the only one who got hurt yesterday. The Ancient One was almost killed by that thing that broke in."

"She was?" he blinked.

"Yes," Hazel's voice was desperate. "You didn't see what it did to her. If I hadn't intervened, it would've broken every bone in her body. And if I don't go with Oriishii, that's exactly what will happen. I can't be the downfall of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Stephen. The world needs a Sorcerer Supreme; I'm just an eyesore."

"You're more than that," Stephen tried to argue, but his voice was quiet and sounded a bit far away. His tone was soft. "So what if you don't conform to all the rules here? That's why the Ancient One likes teaching you so much. She wouldn't have wanted it this way, Hazel."

Hazel's voice mimicked his. Fatigue. Defeat. "I know."

He folded his arms. He saw her point, and he knew why she was so willing to do this, but she was still his friend.

"So what are you going to do?" he asked.

"Well... I'm thinking about prior sedation. That way I won't..."

She didn't finish. She shouldn't be telling him any of this.

"Kai and I are looking into it," she finished. "You're a doctor. I'm sure you'd have good input on modern medicine. Kai's practice isn't entirely magical, but you could..."

"You're asking me to assist your suicide." Doctor Stephen Strange turned his back on her. "I won't use any of my medical knowledge to harm anyone, Hazel-that's not why I became a doctor."

Hazel looked down sharply in shame. She shouldn't have told him any of this.

"I'm..." Stephen sighed. He had to distance himself. "I'm sorry, Hazel, but I can't. I have somewhere to be. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Hazel didn't know if she said anything in response before the two friends parted ways.

Hazel's insistence to speak with Kai was pointless in the long run because the Ancient One ended up touching base with him anyway. Hours after Hazel had left her, the Ancient One headed to the healer's ward herself to see if they'd come to a decision yet. When she got there, Kai said he hadn't heard from Hazel at all that day. Perhaps she'd lost her nerve. Regardless, the Ancient One didn't delay making preparations for the ritual.

Kai leaned against the wall of the healer's ward while the Ancient One sat at the desk.

"We can sedate her," Kai confirmed. "Then you can do whatever is required."

"Right," the Ancient One nodded, pale fingers brushing over the pages of a medical textbook. She hated thinking about it. She'd killed students of hers before-former students, at least-but never in a blood ritual. Not that she could remember, at least.

Kai looked at her sympathetically. "What are the cooks preparing for her tonight?"

The Ancient One managed a weak smile and sat up. "I haven't asked her yet. I was thinking about taking her out; I'm sure she has a favorite restaurant she'd want to go to back in the States."

"That's good," Kai nodded. The two of them looked up when they heard aforementioned girl stepping by and calling for something in a sweet voice.

"Ancient One? Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..."

Hazel shook a bowl of dry cat food, trying to locate her familiar and ignoring the odd stares she got as she wove through the corridors and rooms.

"Has she gone into shock?" she heard Kai whisper, but she didn't concern herself with it.

Hazel searched the sanctuary for a long time, all through the halls and courtyards, but the cat was nowhere to be seen. She found herself timidly peering into the laundry room. She knew he liked to hide out here, but with the room being poorly lit with several nooks and crannies, it was a potential roost for Breaches and Guests. The room was cold when she stepped in, and she felt as if all the breath had been sucked out of her.

The bowl crashed on the stone floor, scattering cat food across the tile.

The Ancient One was speaking to a company of masters when she felt Hazel drawing closer to them. The Sorcerer Supreme dismissed them quickly, but she didn't seem genuinely bothered to them. And she honestly, oddly, wasn't afraid for a fleeting moment. She too was affected by the sudden, inexplicable calm that had settled over the sanctuary. It was as if the looming shadow of the Main Guest no longer approached them. She decided to savor their last days of peace before Lammas.

However, once the masters left and Hazel joined her, the Ancient One could tell that something was very wrong. Hazel didn't have to say anything-it was written all over her face. Perhaps she'd finally snapped.

"What is it?" the Ancient One asked quietly.

Hazel didn't speak. She brought the Ancient One to the laundry room, where they found Kenzo's small, feline body lying in the center of a blue seal drawn on the floor in chalk. Dead leaves and twigs adorned the space, like an offering. Rodent bones, burned and crushed, were scattered in the border of the seal like a salt circle. The cat was dead, blood pooling around its muzzle, and the seal meant nothing now.

The Ancient One stared at the macabre scene in horror and disbelief.

"Who did this to him?" she asked.

Hazel looked up, horrified. "I didn't-!"

"I wasn't asking if you did," the Ancient One silenced her. She looked at the chalk seal again. It must've been an agent of Oriishii, whether it be a malicious one or one like Planchette or the _dito_ that took Reiko's form... As if it even mattered at this point.

**Rite**

"Why don't we... bring him outside?" the Ancient One offered carefully. She wasn't sure if that would calm Hazel or make her feel worse. After a moment, Hazel nodded timidly. "Do you want to carry him, or shall I?"

Hazel knelt by the seal and cradled the cat in her arms. As soon as she picked him up, the seal disappeared and the dried leaves rushed into the corner so quickly that they rattled. Then they disappeared. A hoarse, deep moan shook the room for a mere moment, then all was quiet and the sanctuary truly was a sanctuary again.

"Come on," the Ancient One urged, turning to go back upstairs.

It was dark outside now, and past curfew, so the Ancient One and Hazel had a chance to set up the cat's shrine in peace. On the highest balcony, they set up a shrine on the ledge overlooking the city. They laid out an old cloth and set the cat down in the middle of it. Then they surrounded the area with candles, leaves, feathers... blue flowers inexplicably floated up from one of the lower courtyards and settled on the shrine and over the cat's body. The Ancient One set out a bowl of salt with sticks of incense standing in it.

To complete the setup, each sorceress lit a candle of their own. Once that was done, Hazel and the Ancient One muttered one phrase.

" _Mu gahvon hi do kun." We surrender you to the light._

His body disintegrated, taking the form of weightless, glowing embers that took flight and drifted out over the city to the mountains beyond. Hazel watched them until they were out of sight. She couldn't stop crying. After a moment, the Ancient One put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"He did it for you," she reminded her. "He lived a full live-a satisfactory life. He always wanted to contribute to something more, and he did so saving you."

"I know," Hazel whimpered. "I wish he'd taken me."

The Ancient One embraced Hazel and let the girl cry as much as she wanted. This was a common reaction in those who'd escaped a fate they were bound to. Some of her best students came to her broken with only a few months left to live. When they healed, they were conflicted. They'd made peace with their dying, and now they had years left until that happened. They felt they were cheating or breaking some rule, but the rules of living were much simpler than that.

The Ancient One glanced down as the candle beside her began flickering before snuffing out completely. Of course. In the midst of everything, she'd almost forgot her own approaching fate. And now that Hazel will outlive her, she almost didn't want to think about it.

The Ancient One glanced up at the sound of an approaching person. Stephen Strange stepped out onto the balcony, two steaming, half-filled cups in his hands.

"Hazel, I was hoping we could... what's wrong?"

Hazel refused to look at him, as if she was ashamed by her display. The Ancient One, on the other hand, regarded him calmly.

"We're having a sad day," she replied, indicating the shrine behind her. "I'll explain everything later. For now, tell Kai we won't be needing those sedatives." She glanced down at the girl in her arms and brushed through Hazel's hair. "Hazel's debt has been paid in full."

Stephen's shoulders sagged as he stumbled closer to them. He stood on Hazel's other side and wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

**Days of Mourning**

Kenzo died on a Wednesday, and, like a child, Hazel was distraught for days. However, when night fell, she willingly went to her own room to sleep for the first time in days. She needed some alone time, as did the Ancient One. But the first night, after hours lying on her bed doing nothing, Hazel finally decided to astral project and see what she could find around the sanctuary.

Stephen Strange was still awake in his astral form, as always, reading through a tome on herbalism. It wasn't of immediate interest to him, but it was a nice break in between the more mystically intense reads. He startled slightly, nearly dropping the book, when he saw Hazel's astral form by the door. She looked a bit sheepish.

"Can I stay with you?" she asked. "The cat usually stayed with me, so..."

"Yeah, of course..." Stephen raised a hand to dismiss her and turned back to his book. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she floated about the room. They'd already exchanged earnest apologies and gushy statements of relief. "So... are you okay?"

"Yeah," Hazel nodded and leaned on the desk. "I'm just adjusting. I've been so preoccupied with the Main Guest that I feel like I forgot I'd have to return to the normal world soon."

"Yeah," Stephen nodded and set the book aside. "You know, you could stay at Kamar-Taj a little longer."

"I don't think so," Hazel shook her head. "The plan from the very beginning was to stay for the summer, then go back home so I can finish school and stuff."

"Oh? What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I don't really know," Hazel shrugged, bored. "Something with supers? A counselor for supers? I suspect there's a high demand for that kind of thing, and since I've lived with them my whole life, I'm a good candidate."

"I bet," Stephen smirked. He'd have to inquire about her past sometime. "So, that kid you showed me, is he like the newest Avenger or something?"

"Haha, no," Hazel laughed. She felt an almost painful rush of excitement at the thought of seeing her friends again. "I can't wait to see him again, though. I'm sure he and the others will have a field day with me once I get back."

He smirked, imagining how Christine would react if he ever told her all he'd gotten up to in the last few months. And from what little he saw of Peter Parker during his brief visit to Kamar-Taj, Stephen knew Peter would greet her new abilities with full enthusiasm.

"Yeah," he agreed. "What are you planning on telling them?"

"As little as possible," Hazel sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I really don't want Tony and the others getting the wrong idea. They might ask me to join them."

Stephen understood her trepidation. Whilst the world would be worse off without the Avengers defending it, she'd be under scrutiny, and she wasn't a conventional team player. But still.

"Working with the Avengers part-time doesn't sound like a bad fix, kid. You could intern with them a while, get some job experience."

"They'd use me. After signing the Accords, they can't do dick without some militant peon giving them the okay. I want to use my power to help people any way _I_ see fit. Plus, more likely, I want to use my power... selfishly."

Stephen chuckled. "Yeah, it's probably a good thing you're leaving. The Ancient One may like you, but that attitude won't fly with the other masters for much longer."

"I know," Hazel leaned back again. "It can't be helped. _Giin_ understands."

He so desperately wanted to question her about the meaning of the word, but if she wasn't going to tell him when she thought she was dying the other day, she'd take it to her grave. He noticed her staring out the window.

"It's almost a full moon tonight," he said. "Do you... have anything planned?"

She only stared at the sky, "I might."

**Worship**

Hazel was patrolling the sanctuary at dawn out of habit when the Ancient One found her. Then the Ancient One made a passing comment about it- "You don't need to do that anymore," something like that. And that one small realization is what finally, _finally_ made Hazel snap.

"Just lie down if you have to. I'm right here."

Hazel did so. She was shaking so badly that she couldn't stand. Her breathing came in high-pitched, uneven gasps. She couldn't tell if she was crying or not. The Ancient One sat one the edge of the veranda and held Hazel's head in her lap calmly until the girl calmed down some. After a few moments, the spell wore off and Hazel was left quiet and still.

"Are you feeling better?" the Ancient One murmured.

"I feel so strange," Hazel whispered, staring blankly at the periwinkle sky. "I feel as if I'd been dead for so long only to wake up again. This isn't fair. Something about this isn't fair..."

"Perhaps it's much simpler than you think," the Ancient One smoothed Hazel's hair back gently. "Are you sad?"

"Yes," Hazel nodded. "I want to regret everything. Believe me, I truly do. But I just can't."

"That's fine," the Ancient One murmured. "Your life still has meaning, Hazel. You're allowed to enjoy it."

"You know, you scared the shit out of me," Hazel's muttered, changing the subject completely.

"Are you bringing that up again?" the Ancient One withheld an irritated sigh. "I'm fine, truly. People get hurt, Hazel, but I healed. You don't have to worry for me so much."

"Yeah?" Hazel wriggled onto her side and stared reverently up at the elder sorceress. "You know, you're the oldest person I know?"

"Am I?" she smiled.

"I mean, I've worked with some entities that are older than you," Hazel admitted. "But you're the only human being. And the difference between you and those entities is in your finity. Where I come from, old things are made to be worshiped. It didn't really occur to me that you're just a person, not ever. I'm sorry about that."

The Ancient One searched her for a minute, one hand still playing with her hair. She raised her gaze to the rising sun.

"It's alright," she dismissed. "It was nice to be worshiped for a while."

Hazel turned her head again, a coy smile on her lips. "I love everything about you."

"Weren't you just apologizing for worshiping me?" the other prompted.

"Of course. But that just means I can love you for who you are now. You're attainable, now."

The Sorcerer Supreme looked away dismissively. "You don't know anything about me, Hazel."

"Then let me know you!" Hazel sat up. "How many times do we have to go over this?"

The Ancient One refused to look at her, instead staring at the wall. Her jaw was clenched. "I can't, Hazel."

Hazel took her hand gently and pressed it against her face.

"What are you afraid of?" she smirked. "It's only me."

The Ancient One pulled her hand away and stood. "Just leave it for today."

Hazel looked astray at a stone in the courtyard. Perhaps she pretended there was a cat there.

**Witch on a Rampage**

The next day, Hazel was seen in class again, but no one approached her. After classes, she was unseen again, but she was certainly heard. Swearing, shouting, chanting ancient words of her choosing as she tore the sanctuary down and built it back up again. She went on a total cleaning frenzy, polishing the wooden fixtures, clearing the cobwebs out of the corners of door frames, catching dangerous spiders and beetles and putting them outside in the streets, sweeping, dusting, mopping, you name it. And heaven help any who was brave enough to visit her in her room.

"Have you see Hazel today?" the Ancient One asked Mordo as she surveyed the immaculate courtyard.

"She's up in her room now, I think," he replied. "She's on a rampage. Perhaps it would be... _safer_ if we wait an hour or two if you wanted to see her for something."

The Ancient One raised her eyebrows, but smirked. He'd never boss her around, but he was concerned for her safety today. "Alright. Shall we go have some tea?"

He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Sounds good."

As he followed her inside, she continued surveying Hazel's work. She noticed that a few corners that had allowed themselves to fall into ruin were now growing lighter and brighter by the minute.

"Self care is important," the Ancient One murmured to one of the walls as they past.

"Hmm?" Mordo glanced at her.

"What?" she turned her head. "It's nothing. Hazel must be preparing for the harvest celebration tonight. I'm sure her Guests will bring a feast for her from outside the sanctuary, since she started preparing herself on such short notice. I wonder if I can wear my gold robes again, or if that would be too pretentious..."

"Another Pagan celebration?"

"Yes. Would you like to join us? I'm sure it'll be entertaining for you."

Mordo averted his gaze. "No, thank you. The other masters and I... prefer to leave these... alternative dealings to you and Hazel."

"As you wish," she shrugged, and didn't seem offended at all.

**Trap**

The Ancient One brought a tray of tea up to Hazel's room at six in the evening to make sure everything was in order before the celebration began at sundown.

"Come on in," Hazel called when she heard the knock at her door. The Ancient One stepped in and looked about the modest, polished room. Hazel was lying across her bed as if she was posing for an elegant painting. "Well, hello."

"So your room does have a floor after all," the Ancient One raised her eyebrows. Hazel chuckled and muttered something in dragontongue before taking the tray and setting it on the desk. The Ancient One continued surveying Hazel's work. her robes were hanging in neat rows by the window, and her other clothes were put away nicely. She'd given the place a deep-clean treatment, polishing the wood, pulling out the rug and shaking it out, cleaning the bath...

"You did well," the woman allowed. "I didn't think you'd feel up to it so soon."

"I'm over it," Hazel replied, handing the Ancient One a cup of tea.

"Are you truly?" the Sorcerer Supreme asked.

Hazel spoke more quietly this time. "... Kenzo died so that I could live. What good would it do to spend the rest of the summer upset about it?"

The Ancient One allowed her that and went on looking about the room. Then everything went wrong very quickly.

She stepped a bit closer to the window, getting a better look at a few things Hazel had hung up on the walls, but the minute her feet touched the rug, she suddenly felt too weak to move. Hazel was speaking to her, but she couldn't truly hear what was being said. The tea cup slipped between her fingers, the clatter muffled by carpet. She felt a sinking dread as she looked back up to face Hazel.

Hazel was staring at the Ancient One in a curious sense of disbelief and concern. She looked down at the carpet, then back up at the woman. Then, just as the Ancient One moved to take the dagger from her belt, Hazel threw her hand straight out, taking the knife up with a levitation spell and throwing it against the far wall, far out of the other's reach. The Ancient One froze. She was vulnerable.

Hazel slammed her cup down on the desk and stalked over to the Sorcerer Supreme.

"I always wondered why a master sorcerer had to carry a knife around," she growled. She stood two feet away from the edge of the rug. She stared at the Ancient One in disbelief. "What _is_ this? You're real-you're _you_ , yet here _you_ stand, stuck, _trapped_... in a seal that targets dark entities."

The Ancient One couldn't meet her gaze. Was she ashamed?

Hazel looked ready to question the woman, but a rattling of bells out in the courtyard drew her attention away. She looked back at the Ancient One a final time, just to make sure there was nothing within reach that the Ancient One could weaponize, then slowly stepped out of the room.

"We'll talk about this when I get back," Hazel's tone was strange. She wasn't stern or commanding, but she had to be in a situation like this. She hesitated by the doorway and put her hand on the door frame. "Don't think about calling for help."

An invisible but very real dampening ward lined the walls, floor, and ceiling. The Ancient One briefly lamented that she'd taught Hazel too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You THOUGHT it was over.


	18. Trapped

**Trapped**

The instant Hazel closed her bedroom door behind her, she made it about ten steps down the hall before she stumbled and leaned back against the wall heavily. She braced her hands against her knees and tried to slow her ragged breathing. Whatever happened in there, whatever that was--it couldn’t truly be the Ancient One. It had to be a doppelganger, or worse, a mere figment of Hazel’s imagination. She just had to find the real Ancient One, (who’d be at the party, surely), and forget this happened.

After a moment to collect herself, Hazel straightened and began jogging through the halls. This wasn’t real. Her mind was volatile, even after Oriishii revoked his claim on her. She just needed her grounding influence, her Giin to make everything clear again. However, as Hazel ran out of time searching for the Ancient One and had to continue to the courtyard alone for the harvest feast, she began to realize more and more willingly that the thing trapped in her bedroom was indeed the Sorcerer Supreme she’d once trusted with her life.

 

The Ancient One struggled for a brief moment to stay level-headed in her current situation. True, one of her closest students had just discovered her and left her there like a caged animal, possibly going to inform the other masters of the situation, but this wasn’t the Ancient One’s first time in a demon trap seal. Actually, this wasn’t even her first time being trapped since Hazel arrived at Kamar-Taj. But it was the first time anyone noticed, and as such, the Ancient One had to proceed very thoughtfully if she was going to get out of this unharmed and with her reputation unchanged.

She had ground to reprimand Hazel. She’d expressed several times that these binding traps in particular were forbidden on the grounds of Kamar-Taj. They intoned as much dark magic as they prevented, she’d said, but she’d honestly banned them to protect herself. Hazel had assumed herself unaffected by this rule, perhaps because the Ancient One had so surreptitiously bound her weeks ago, and did things her own way as usual.

The Ancient One didn’t have time to curse Hazel over her transgressions. Instead, she combed her fingers through the fibers of the rug beneath her. She couldn’t see the seal, but depending on how Hazel set it up, the Ancient One could probably give Hazel a reasonable explanation without incriminating herself. If it was a general seal--and the Ancient One prayed it was--it would target everything that was once involved in dark magic as opposed to only targeting followers of a certain entity like Oriishii or Dormammu. Then the Ancient One could just make something up. “I played the demon in a Tangahshii ritual one year, that’s all.” Hazel respected her greatly for her Pagan roots, and having just narrowly escaped the Tangahshii herself, Hazel would most definitely free the Ancient One without further question.

But if it wasn’t a general seal, it targeted followers of Dormammu. And if that was the case, the Ancient One had no options.

She couldn’t see, couldn’t feel the energy move around her like she’d grown so accustomed to. She could only feel a heavy, downward pull as the trap absorbed her power, seemingly drawing life out of her as it was at it. At one point, she knelt on the ground, as if to meditate. There was no reason to strain herself; she just had to be calm. She had to be persuasive. Hazel worshiped her; she’d see reason, surely. But as the Ancient One remembered the look on Hazel’s face as she appraised her former leader, the Ancient One knew Hazel was on a slippery slope, and she’d be lost in a heartbeat if even one thing didn’t go to plan.

 

Not quite an hour after she left, Hazel returned. She must’ve come up with an excuse to leave the party for a moment. She must’ve realized that she wasn’t imagining this at all. She was trembling. Uneasy, scared, but alone. The Ancient One allowed herself a sigh of relief at that. Hazel must not’ve told anyone about these recent developments.

“Alright,” Hazel started. “What the hell’s this?”

“I’m allowed my secrets, Hazel,” the Ancient One replied. Her tone was almost condescending, as if she wasn’t in any way misplaced in this situation. It gave Hazel a sour taste in her mouth. “You, on the other hand, practicing a forbidden art--”

“Oh, save it,” Hazel hissed. “You cannot tell me you’re in the right here. That seal targets creatures of, from, and participating in dark magic. So which is it?”

The Ancient One looked at her calmly, a little ruefully. Just persuade her.

“I was involved in a Tangahshii ritual when I was... younger,” she admitted very slowly. Make it convincing. “I... practiced it in a shameful way. We all did, back then.”

Hazel shook her head, looking betrayed and hurt like a kicked puppy. “I don’t believe you. If that’s all it took, then I should be affected by that trap as much as you, and I’m not.”

“The Tangahshii was different back then, Hazel,” the Ancient One insisted.

“No, it wasn’t!” Hazel shouted. “You think just because you killed someone in a ritual is enough to be trapped like this? Why aren’t you telling me the truth?!”

Hazel couldn’t look at her any longer. She around, bracing her arms on the desk and staring at the scattered paper there. She remembered so many little things now, and they all felt alienating and frightening. How did the Ancient One’s bones mend in the battle with Oriishii’s collector? How did she cast as she did, summon things from another dimension. Dark, cold, bereft of life or comfort....

“Hazel,” the Ancient One spoke her name clearly. She was losing her, she was losing her-- “Hazel Grace, listen to me. Please release me. This will all make sense if we can speak of this civilly, equally.”

Equally. Hazel raised her head, her expression hard when she faced the Ancient One again.

“No. You just want to be in control again. To be above me, to have power over me.”

She let out a breathy chuckle. The Ancient One was from Oriishii, or an accomplice of his, surely. Why else did she do so little to protect Hazel, or help her at all? No, that was ridiculous. Hazel was just seeing things that weren’t there. Still, if the Ancient One wasn’t denying it, and she wasn’t telling the truth....

“Give me your true name.”

“What?” the Ancient One leaned forward.

“You heard me. Give me your true name. That way, whether you’re lying or telling the truth, I know I can protect myself if you go too far.”

The Ancient One opened her mouth and hesitated. “I can’t. Hazel, please, I just need to--”

“Oh, forget it!” Hazel snapped. If she was too proud to be bound by something lesser, Hazel had no regard for negotiating. “You broke some rule, Giin. A big one. And you can tell me what it is, or... I can go get Master Junzo.”

“No!”

She’d already turned to leave. Hazel glanced back over her shoulder, meeting the Ancient One’s fierce glare with a disinterested expression.

“If you bring the other masters into this, you’ll face consequences for practicing blood magic--and binding magic--against my command. I told you on several occasions that we don’t allow seal traps on the premises--”

“And now I know why--”

“The other masters are already leery of you. What will they think of you keeping me here? How do you think they’ll respond to something like you holding the Sorcerer Supreme hostage while the world is on the brink of inter-dimensional war?” The Ancient One’s voice was measured again. “I couldn't protect you from whatever they decided to do to you.”

Hazel bristled, but didn’t seem any closer to giving in. It's not that she couldn't; it's that she _wouldn't_.

“I have a party to attend,” Hazel said, grabbing one of her robes from the window. “And if you don’t want to tell me anything, you can just stay here. Think about it, would you?”

 

**Harvest Feast**

Hazel was withdrawn during the ceremony, troubled and constantly glancing back up at her room. Was she sure she put the trap in place? The silencing ward? What if she forgot it and someone discovered the Ancient One? Hazel didn’t want her to be challenged by her whole order, there had to be a reasonable explanation... but then, why wasn’t she sharing it? If it really wasn’t anything to worry about, why didn’t she trust Hazel to keep it a secret and tell her discretely? Why wouldn’t she trust Hazel? Perhaps... perhaps the truth was something she thought would upset Hazel.

Hazel felt an unsettling feeling in her stomach. She didn’t eat at the feast that night; she felt too sick.

 

The Ancient One tried not to panic. She tried to meditate, but clearing her mind was nearly impossible in this situation. It had been decades, possibly even a century, since she’d spent so long without access to any of her mystical abilities. Astral projecting, Eldritch manipulation, even her gift of foresight was unavailable to her as long as she was in this devil trap.

She didn’t know what she was going to do about this situation. She could try to break the seal and escape, but to do that, she’d need to either drive something sharp like a knife through the center of the seal or get another magic user to break it. However, she couldn’t reach anything in the room, let alone anything she could weaponize, and the chances of her attracting the attention of literally anyone right now were nonexistent. Also, the Ancient One didn’t want to put her faith in Hazel taking kindly to the Ancient One escaping without explanation. If that did happen, Hazel was more likely to reveal to the masters what had happened, then the Ancient One would be under scrutiny from them as well.

The Ancient One worried. Would she have to kill Hazel to protect herself? What was Hazel doing right now anyway? Was she telling the other masters right this second? If Hazel told anyone, the Ancient One’s secret would be out. She’d been so careful to preserve her past. She never told anyone about her connection to the Dark Dimension. However, getting caught in a trap designed to withhold demons and demonic forces was a dead giveaway; the Ancient One was not what she seemed, and Hazel knew that now. Just like Kaecilius.

She could lie again, couldn’t she? No, she’d been foolish to even try. Of course Hazel wasn’t fooled, given her intimate knowledge with such a ritual. Now she thought the worst of the Ancient One, and most of it might not even be true. What was Hazel thinking when she said the Ancient One had power over her? What did this look like to Hazel? And... if she did tell Hazel the truth, Hazel had a potential to react poorly regardless of whether or not she believed what she was told. The Ancient One had seen how Hazel killed or brutalized her rogue Guests, and in this situation, the Ancient One was vulnerable.

In a moment of claustrophobia, the Ancient One began running her fingers and nails into the fibers of the rug, exploring the trap hidden underneath, seeing how much space she had to move around in, and seeing if she could scratch through the carpet before Hazel got back. If she escaped before Hazel got back and spoke with the girl privately before anyone else had a chance to--

She jumped when she heard the door unlatch. Hazel glanced around the hallway one last time to make sure she wasn’t followed before closing the door behind her. She turned to the Ancient One. The woman was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the rug, straight-backed, still managing to look regal in her position.

Hazel locked the door behind her and undressed. She didn’t even glance at the Ancient One as she let her hair down and hung her robe back up over the window. It seemed she was withholding attention as punishment. How childish. Hazel continued getting ready for bed, changing into her pajamas and washing her face. The Ancient One watched her anxiously until she couldn't stand the silence anymore.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“About three in the morning,” Hazel yawned and stretched her arms above her head. She finally looked at the Ancient One. “Sit tight. It’s going to be a long night with you no longer acting as a deterrent for the Guests.”

“You repaired the wards after the party, didn’t you?” the Ancient One leaned forward.

“What’s that got to do with it?” Hazel shrugged. “The Guests are powerful after taking Kenzo. Sure, they may not be interested in taking me anymore, but they’re still attached to me. They might even see this as an opportunity.”

She neglected to mention that she was scared. That’s why she knew they’d come tonight. Even so, Hazel crawled into bed and resumed ignoring the Ancient One. The Sorcerer Supreme felt undeniable terror at Hazel’s last statement, because she knew that when a spirit was presented an opportunity, they never refused.

 

**Sun, Wheel of Fortune, Magician**

The sun still rose the next morning, as it always did. Hazel rolled out of bed and rubbed her eyes, happy to find her hands and face still untouched as if the events of last night never happened. She lit some incense by the window and knelt to meditate, well aware of the Ancient One watching her the entire time.

“Hazel, I’m sorry. I didn’t know they’d--”

“Don’t talk to me,” Hazel snapped. “I’m trying to meditate.”

 

Hazel minded herself as the rest of Kamar-Taj awoke and the day truly began. She renewed the dampening barrier in her room before she left, even though she doubted the Ancient One would ever try to make herself known. That’s not how you keep secrets. Hazel took her breakfast to the study as usual and attended classes. She wanted to seem concerned, but not suspicious, so she didn’t approach the masters until mid-afternoon, when she would usually see them anyway. Oddly enough, and luckily on Hazel’s part, they were all together in the globe room behind the library, whispering among each other.

When they saw her standing there, they immediately fell silent. Mordo approached Hazel.

“Hazel, we were just about to send for you.”

“Oh?” Hazel asked. “I was looking for you, actually. Is Giin on a mission or something? I haven’t seen her today.”  
“So you’ve noticed as well,” Master Junzo started.

“We’ve contacted the masters of the other sanctums,” Wong added. “It seems that the Ancient One is unaccounted for.”

“What do you mean unaccounted for?” Hazel’s eyebrows drew together. “You don’t know where she is?”

“No,” Mordo shook his head. “We were wondering if something happened during that party that you held last night. Did the Ancient One seem off to you? Was she acting different?”

“She wasn’t at the party,” Hazel shook her head. “She never showed; I just thought she’d been called away for something. Are you sure she’s not on the grounds?”

“We’ve searched the sanctuary quite thoroughly,” Mordo assured her.

“How thoroughly?” Hazel demanded. “Did you check all the sanctums, the mirror dimension, that one balcony that’s only accessible by portal?”

“Of course you’d know about that,” Mordo muttered. “Which makes you more likely to know where she is now.”

Hazel bit her lip. “I don’t think I’d know anymore than any of you. It’s not like her to leave without telling anyone.”

As the other masters nodded in agreement, Mordo hesitated as he felt an uneasy tightness in his chest. The Ancient One had asked him to keep it a secret, but since her safety was in question, he deliberated whether to bring it up or not.

“Truthfully...” he spoke carefully. “On the night of the first breach, the Ancient One pursued something in the mirror dimension alone. Had she not returned shortly and spoken to me....” The events of the night were still fuzzy. Had she told him? Had she not? He assumed she’d contained whatever it was in the astral plain, but the morning after, the courtyard was destroyed.

Hazel quietly considered what he said. “Even so, we took care of that problem. What could she have to pursue on her own?”

“Zealots,” Master Junzo replied. Hazel stiffened. In her haste to contain the Ancient One, she’d forgotten about Kaecilius altogether. She fretted for a moment, but then felt an almost gleeful sense of resignation. If things with the Ancient One as they were did go amiss, this could be a suitable alibi.

“I don’t think she would,” Master Hamir argued. “She doesn’t even know where they are--”

“Could she be dead?” Hazel interrupted the others again, her voice quiet but compelling.

The masters shifted and settled into an uncomfortable silence. Master Tashi finally spoke up.

“I can still sense her mystic signature. She’s still alive, wherever she is, I just can’t find exactly where....”

Hazel bit her lip, her eyebrows drawing together. Mordo glanced levelly at the other masters.

“We need to regroup with all the masters. Hazel, can you meet us in the east wing in an hour?”

“Yes,” Hazel nodded.

 

**Monthly Meeting**

Hazel didn’t have much to plan; she was sure the others would lead the council and only turn to her when they were unsure about something. Whether or not Hazel would clarify depended on the situation, but she needed to be careful. It was best to be vague until she understood their impressions of the situation more. After all, Master Junzo was never easily swayed in Hazel’s favor, and his lie-detecting abilities could put her little game to a grinding halt the moment she acts carelessly.

When she arrived to the meeting room, most of the other masters were seated already. She wasn’t sure where to sit until Mordo beckoned her to sit by him. Hazel kneaded the hem of her tunic. She felt the others staring at her.

“Oh, look,” Master Percival leaned forward with a bored expression on his face and sipped his tea. “I suppose this is out monthly meeting to determine what will be done with Hazel Grace. Where’s the Ancient One?”

Mordo gave Hazel a stern glance to reassure her before addressing the others. “It seems the Ancient One has been missing since last night.”

A series of surprised murmurs coursed through the room. Mordo could already tell that without the Ancient One’s grounding presence, the meeting would descend into chaos if allowed. He held their attention as long as he could as he explained all he knew of the situation, then Tashi spoke his piece about mystic signatures and whatnot.

“I tried tracking her by her mystic signature, but I couldn’t locate her,” he explained. “She has the strongest signature of anyone in our order, so if I could find each of you in this room, I should’ve been able to find her from anywhere in the world.”

“She’s immune to trap seals, isn’t she?” Sol Rama asked. “Could there be something else that would cloak her signature?”

Tashi considered it, but Master Junzo interrupted before he could answer.

“Who would keep her alive?” he demanded. “Kaecilius? He doesn’t want her in a position of power, and he and his Zealots wouldn’t think to maintain her like this unless they wanted something from her or from us, and we haven’t had contact with them yet.”

“You think Kaecilius could keep the Ancient One hostage?” Percival’s tone was snide. Junzo glared at him across the table.

“No. That’s my point. I don’t think Kaecilius is involved.”

“She could’ve cloaked her own signature,” Daniel Drumm offered. “It’s not entirely unlike her to take vacation days.”

“But it’s not like her to disappear without telling anyone,” Tina interjected. “Especially at a time like this.”

Hazel glanced at Mordo to see if he would dispute this. He met her gaze, but didn’t move to speak again. Not here. Hazel nodded a little and resumed staring at the table.

“We’ve been monitoring activity in other dimensions and ours, like we always have,” Wong said. “There haven’t been any threats since the breach a few days ago.”

Percival glanced at Hazel, but it felt more like a glare. “Yes, about that. I thought Hazel was sworn to that dream demon. What’s she doing here?”

“Someone took her place,” Mordo replied.

“Who? The Ancient One?”

Hazel straightened, and another wave of surprised exclamations made their way around the room. Mordo soon spoke over them.

“No. Master Kenzo Sakai.”

The room fell eerily silent. Hazel felt her heart racing and prayed the others didn’t look at her. She felt Mordo take her shoulder briefly, probably to startle her out of using her hiding powers.

“What if it wasn’t enough?” Percival demanded. “Kenzo assumed the form of a beast. Permanently. What if the demon needed more than that?”

“Kenzo was enough because he was able to maintain an animal form while still retaining his being,” Wong explained. “Don’t belittle that.”

“I’m not,” Percival dismissed. “Still, don’t you find the timing disconcerting? August first, sundown. That was our deadline. That’s when the Ancient One disappeared. You saw how she was bested by that creature the demon sent. If the demon wanted her, it would’ve had her.”

“The Ancient One wouldn’t die for me,” Hazel snapped. The others were surprised by her outburst, almost as if they’d forgotten she was there at all. Hazel glared back at Percival as she continued. “Quit infantilizing the Ancient One and focus on the problem at hand.”

None of the masters moved or said anything. On one hand, Hazel was right to stand up for herself, but she’d done so poorly at it that the masters were more than tempted, nearly compelled, to scold her. However, she was right, and that fact deterred any who thought ill of her. If only the Ancient One were here, she’d ensure Hazel was put in her place....

They remained like that until Master Hina Sakai spoke up. The woman was probably the second oldest person in the order beside the Ancient One herself, and, more relevantly, Kenzo’s mother. If anyone was fit to respond to this situation, it was her.

“I hope you don’t find me jaded to consider my son a worthy sacrifice in Hazel’s stead,” she began by looking at Percival. Then she turned to Hazel and the others. “However, there are more threats in the world than Kaecilius. We should search other dimensions for the Ancient One. We must find her by any means necessary. With Kaecilius intending to wage inter-dimensional war at any moment, we need her now more than ever.”

Hazel studied the grains in the table, feeling a bit chagrined for a moment. Why was she ashamed? The others didn’t know the Ancient One; they didn’t know the danger Hazel herself was holding at bay. She just needed to stay quiet for a while longer.

 

**Hour 24**

The Ancient One was sprawled on the floor, tiredly clawing at the carpet with shaking fingers. Twenty-four hours without food, water, mystic ether, or rest had rendered her sensitive to her own mortal inadequacies, which made her desire for freedom outweigh her sound decision making for a time. When she heard the lock on the door scraping and clicking, the Ancient One jolted upright and hid her bloody hands in the folds of her robe, staving off the sudden rush of dizziness that followed. Not a moment later, Hazel entered the room. She again ignored the elder as she set her bag aside, lit some incense, and heated some water for tea.

“Where were you for so long?” the Ancient One asked. Her voice was a bit hoarse, as if she’d been shouting. Hazel knew better, of course. Dehydration would have its effects before the Ancient One called for help. Hazel glanced at her.

“Meeting with the other masters,” Hazel leaned back against the desk. “Percival put his money on you going to Oriishii.”

The Ancient One’s eyes widened. “Mordo held a council with all the masters?”

“Of course.” Hazel peered into her empty teacup with a bored expression. “They’ve all been put on high alert since you went missing.”

The elder fought an upbringing of anger. Had it been only the masters at Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One might’ve been able to create an excuse for Hazel’s disappearance after the she escaped this infernal trap. However, now that all the masters were informed, and Hazel had spoken to every one of them....

“What did you tell them?”

“About you being a demon dressed like a Sorcerer Supreme? Nothing,” Hazel turned back to the desk and poured hot water into the teacup. “It wouldn’t do me any good if your entire order turned against you. They only listen to me because I’m your favorite, you know.”

“You’re far from my favorite. And you don’t know anything about demons in my position,” she growled. “Sorcerers before me were ruthless, selfish, abusive--what does it matter to you if I’m not as pure as everyone thinks? So long as I raise you and other sorcerers rightly?”

Hazel sipped her tea. It tasted like sand. “So tell me the truth. What did you do to end up here?”

“I trusted you.”

“And what did I do? You promised me I could trust you. Tell me what you did--tell me the truth! Are you an agent for my Main Guest or aren’t you?”

The Ancient One was surprised Hazel would come to that conclusion. “Is that what you think? I never worked with Oriishii, and you know that! Why else would I work so hard to protect you from him?”

“Did you really, though?” Hazel asked. “Because to me, it looks like you did just enough to have anyone convinced that you were doing all you could and he was just too powerful, but you wasted the summer not doing anything for me.”

“That’s not true,” the Ancient One shook her head slowly. “I did all I could to protect you. Think about it, Hazel, why would Oriishii make an attempt on one of his own?”

“For show?” Hazel suggested, but averted her gaze. It could’ve been a show. “Look, we’re all working on an alibi for you. And once we do, at this rate, you’d be lucky to leave here alive.”

Hazel turned her head to look at the smoking incense by the windowsill. She set her tea down, took up the stick of incense, and dipped the tip in the tea, extinguishing it. The Ancient One’s hands twisted in her clothes. Hazel set the incense down and reached for her bag.

“Where are you going?” the Ancient One demanded.

“Library,” Hazel replied.

 

**The Book of Cagliostro**

“Hazel,” Wong greeted. “It’s a bit late, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Hazel nodded sheepishly.

“What do you need?”

“I need the Book of Cagliostro,” she replied confidently. He raised his eyebrows, but beckoned for her to follow him to the master’s section of the library.

“I know you wouldn’t demand a book so far above your level for no good reason, Hazel,” he said, but his tone let her know he was far from convinced and wanted an explanation. He retrieved the book for her and set it out on one of the tables. She began flipping through it immediately.

“Well, I’m not really sure, but...” she finally met his eyes. “I think it might have something to do with why the Ancient One is missing. I’m not sure, though.”

“Why didn’t you mention this during the council?” he asked.

“I was afraid of how the others would react,” Hazel admitted. “Also, I’m not sure if I’m right anyway. I’d rather not bring it up unless I have a real reason to--I don’t want to create false hope or false... doubt?”

He studied her for a moment. “Alright. Do what you need to, but be careful. Don’t practice anything you find in there.”

“Thank you,” Hazel nodded, grateful that he left her alone after that.

 

Hazel didn’t find anything of use. Just two pages were missing, but those could’ve easily held the answers she was looking for....

Heading back to her room took longer than she’d anticipated. It was almost as if she was new to the sanctuary and hadn’t walked its corridors enough to be blindly familiar with it. Every time she took a turn, she almost went the wrong way, and she found herself farther and farther from her room as time dragged on. It seemed the sanctuary was conflicted about the current state of events.

**Picky**

The devil trap seal was almost as big as the rug that covered it--that made it a circle almost five feet across. It was more generous than some trap seals, but it still wasn’t very comfortable to stay in for very long. The Ancient One had curled up on her side. She was exhausted from a sleepless night, but it seemed that she wouldn’t get peace even now. With her trapped and no incense or candle burning to ward off the Guests, little creatures from other dimensions could breach the room whenever they felt like it. She felt a hoard of things around her now--tiny, chattering, like little rats with human voices and the conscious of creatures with a vice for causing others pain.

They couldn’t cross into the trap, thankfully, but they were creative beasts. They’d scrounged for anything in the room they could reach her with--pencils, rulers, paintbrushes--and tried prodding a reaction out of her. Finally, irritated, the Ancient One sat upright and tried snatching one of the paintbrushes they’d been poking her with for the last few minutes. The creatures retreated momentarily, chuckling and squealing with delight. It was humiliating, being taunted by such small things.

The creatures froze and scattered, disappearing in the cracks between the stones. The Ancient One glanced over her shoulder at the door just as Hazel arrived. The girl was looking at her this time, holding a large glass full to the brim of water. Hazel sipped the water slowly, deliberately, and loudly, watching the Sorcerer Supreme with raised eyebrows.

The Ancient One lied down again, turning her back on Hazel. The girl was just trying to bargain with her, quite tactlessly as well. It’d been almost thirty hours now since the Ancient One trapped herself. It was foolish to think Hazel wouldn’t try to use hydration as a bargaining chip against her.

Hazel didn’t seem pleased with this indifference.

“Zaan,” (Hey), she chirped, stepping to the edge of the trap. The Ancient One glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. Hazel’s expression was vacant. “Hi horved.” ( _You're filthy._ )

Hazel tilted the glass, dumping its entire contents on the vulnerable sorceress. The Ancient One gasped--that pathetic, tiny sound--and curled up in shock. The water was freezing! Hazel then knelt and braced her arms over either of the Ancient One’s shoulders. There was something commanding in her posture, dominant, but her face was expressionless and she didn’t demand anything. The Ancient One met her gaze, and it was almost like looking in the windows of an empty house. Hazel knew power when she saw it, and saw when it wasn’t to be trifled with, but she’d never been in such a position before. She obviously didn’t know how.

“Hi paar fah?” the Ancient One finally spoke. Do you want something? Her voice was still smooth and indifferent despite how she trembled from the cold. Something in Hazel’s face changed momentarily. She recoiled, ever so slightly. After another moment of silence, she got to her feet and got ready for bed.

The Ancient One didn’t turn her back on Hazel again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it weird that the trapped chapters are my favorite to work on?   
> I did some research on the effects of essentially being trapped in a box without resources, and I found out humans don't last long before they start losing basic comfort and function from starvation and dehydration. At the twenty-four hour mark, one could be shaking and faint from hunger, and suffer elevated body temp, fatigue, and dizziness from thirst.  
> Hazel, get your act together!


	19. Conflicted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight gore warning for the "Plan" and "Break" segments.

**Effigy**

That night—or more, very early in the morning—Master Junzo dreamed of the harvest feast held in the courtyards of Kamar-Taj. He rose and walked the corridors, following sparse streams of orange firelight until he found a doorway to the outside. The courtyard he found was larger than he'd ever remembered with a big bonfire blazing in the center. The blue-flowered tree bent close to the flames but was miraculously unharmed. Its petals glittered like jewels in the light. Junzo continued to scan the courtyard. Shadows of all forms and sizes danced around the fire, wailing and chirping like animals. The courtyard was then bordered by scattered shadows and figures surveying the dance, eating or drinking or talking quietly to themselves. Then Junzo saw Hazel sitting on the edge of the veranda.

He made his way over to the girl, who was dressed in blue and gold. Her intense gaze never wavered from the bonfire, but he knew she could see him standing there.

"May I join you?" he asked quietly. He took a seat beside her. A cup of wine appeared in his hand. He gingerly sipped it, (it tasted like heavenly fire), as he took in the world again. The air felt still and empty, like they were in a void of sorts. Even when he looked up, he saw no stars or moon or lights from the city. Perhaps it was just the smoke.

"When will the Ancient One be joining you?" he asked.

"She'll be down soon," the girl said.

Junzo looked down into his cup. He felt an inward tugging, an uncomfortable mistrust in what she'd just said. She was lying. He looked at her again.

"Do you know where she is?"

She tilted her head to face him, but her eyes stayed disconcertingly closed. "No."

His chest tightened and his muscles seized, bringing him to his feet away from her. But he wasn't sure if his discomfort was a reaction to her lying or a reaction to her expression and the way she followed him and acted like she could see right through him even though her eyes were completely shut. And he was compelled to pray she would never open them.

**Intent**

No one blinked. Not one of them moved. Hazel didn't blink because she was shocked and paralyzed from fear, and the Ancient One didn't blink because she was either unconscious or dead beneath a monster. The monster didn't blink because it didn't have eyelids. The thing was humanoid but sickly thin with possibly a few extra limbs thrown in there. It had the complexion of deep ocean or smoke, and its eyes were a vibrant, striking yellow like Hazel's own. The Ancient One was sprawled beneath the monster, and both were covered in blood and staring intently at Hazel. The monster lowered one pair of its hands to the Ancient One's stomach, to the source of the blood, to a gaping wound in her robes. Hazel couldn't see past that. The monster looked at Hazel with an almost excited expression.

Then it spoke with the Ancient One's voice.

"You eat first, _Haalaan_. It's your kill."

Then Hazel seemed to blink, and the illusion disappeared. It was just her and the Ancient One again, and the Sorcerer Supreme was sleeping on her side, still whole and healthy. Or at least... Hazel quietly slipped off the bed and crept closer to the unconscious sorceress. The Ancient One didn't so much as stir as Hazel knelt in front of her and held her hand in front of her mouth and nose. Hazel only relaxed and withdrew when she felt the Ancient One's heavy, warm breath against her palm.

**Mandala**

Even in her dreams, the Ancient One was in the trap. That made anything else in her dream a highlight. She wasn't the most surprised when Kaecilius made his inevitable appearance. He stood on the other side of the wide room, shaking his head as he observed her state. He glanced at Hazel asleep in the bed, and for a second the Ancient One's heart skipped a beat. She lurched forward, opening her mouth as if to say something, then Kaecilius looked straight at her again.

"What about her compels you so deeply?" he asked, but the Ancient One wasn't sure what he was referring to. Perhaps this was just a very strange dream after all.

Then he was kneeling in front of her, one hand wrapped around her head, his thumb pressed where the mark of Dormammu would appear.

"Hypocrite," he'd said as he'd said so many times before. He turned her head sideways, and she found herself in the mirror on the wall. Her eyes were rimmed with darkness.

**Sick**

Hazel didn't say much to the Ancient One before class. But the Ancient One didn't pester her, at least, and Hazel left without incident. The Ancient One could see Hazel's resolve trembling, and that meant Hazel would either return to her and release her or turn against her completely. It was an even chance at the moment; still, she hoped Hazel would hurry up with whatever she decided. Her body wasn't the only thing failing her now.

Hazel was in her spellcasting class when it happened. First, the magic wouldn't come. She stood in the second row of students, as usual, practicing the shield Master Tashi had demonstrated. It was important for the masters to save face in front of the other students. Right now, no one but the masters and Hazel knew the Ancient One was gone. Hazel tried to remain collected like the masters, but, regardless of her part in it, the masters didn't think less of her when she began to break down.

Now, as she went through the motions to perform the spell, no magic flowed from her fingertips. She waved her hands in the air like a novice—not like the skilled acolyte her classmates and teachers had grown so used to her being. Master Junzo, who helped survey the class today, hesitated by her when he saw that she wasn't manipulating any magic whatsoever. Was this a new technique of hers or was she intimidated?

"You aren't expelling any energy?" he inquired.

"I'm _trying_ ," it was apparent by her tone that she was frustrated. Another thing so unlike her. The master faced her with a quizzical expression. Hazel's hands were shaking. "I-I don't know why it's not working; I'm sorry..."

She heard his voice like he was very far away.

" _Do you need to sit this one out?_ "

And then the dizziness hit. Hazel lurched to the side, steadied only by the master's hand on her shoulder. Her head hung, and she wrapped her shaking arms around herself.

"I don't feel so good," she murmured. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's..."

Quickly, Master Junzo ordered Reiko to take over supervising his side of the class and brought Hazel inside. The shade from the summer heat was a relief, but being indoors made Hazel feel like she was suffocating. Before she knew it, she was in the healer's ward sitting on a cot, and Master Junzo hovered over her, one hand holding her upright by her shoulder.

"She felt faint during her spellcasting class," he was explaining to Kai. The healer knelt in front of Hazel and gave her a cursory check-over, putting a hand to her forehead and checking her pulse at her wrist. Kai retrieved a rag from the cupboard and soaked it in cold water from the tap.

"Could just be the heat," he shrugged, handing the rag to Hazel. "Hold that against your forehead."

"Or stress?" Junzo guessed. They were alone; there were no students around to hear them. Kai glanced around the room and out the door just to ensure they were speaking only between each other.

"Perhaps," he allowed. "Has there been any news on her whereabouts?"

"No," Junzo shook his head. He felt a warm head press against his wrist and looked down. Hazel was leaning against the hand that supported her, and staring straight ahead with damp eyes. He felt a pang of guilt for bringing it up. She was as worried as any of them, and just as powerless. There was no doubt in his mind that her current fatigue was a result of and exacerbated by the stress of the Ancient One's absence. He released her shoulder and put a hand on top of her head in a reassuring gesture. Hazel heaved a sigh and leaned back. He was trying his best.

"Do you need me to stay with you?" he asked. She shrugged. He hesitated but slowly sat on the bed beside her.

Kai offered Hazel a cup of tea, but the girl refused. She still felt too sick. Kai raised his eyebrows, but left it on the bedside table for her.

"You can stay as long as you need to," he said. "Get some rest; I know you need it. And don't worry yourself sick; we'll find her."

In spite of herself, Hazel let out a half-hearted scoff of a chuckle. If only finding her was the solution. Hazel reclined on the bed, letting the cold cloth cover her eyes. As she was, she didn't realize how Master Junzo stared at her carefully.

**Mean**

The Ancient One always knew Hazel could be cruel. Everyone had a capacity for cruelty, and being exceptionally generous or empathetic didn't dampen that ability. The Ancient One knew Hazel expected her to stay put and stay quiet. However, keeping the Ancient One there for so long was extreme and beyond what she'd expected. During the days, Hazel would go to classes like nothing was amiss then pretend to help the masters locate the Ancient One. Sometimes she was out late speaking with her Guests or reading at the library. She was conducting research, the Ancient One figured, to see if she could unveil the Ancient One's secrets on her own.

The Sorcerer Supreme was, for the first and only time, grateful that Kaecilius had stolen those pages. If Hazel found out the truth, there was a good chance she'd turn against the Masters of the Mystic Arts just as Kaecilius had. And with the current circumstances, she could either leave and join Kaecilius, making his party a force to be reckoned with and dooming herself in turn, or she could kill the Ancient One on the spot. ~~_What would he do in this situation?_~~

But there were two ways this could go. There was also a chance—however slim with how her persuasion attempts have been going—that the Ancient One still could bring Hazel back. Although at this rate, the Ancient One wasn't willing to be optimistic. The Ancient One had foreseen several ways that she would die. Why didn't she ever see this? Or did she simply not remember it?

The woman turned her head only slightly when she heard stone cracking behind her.

**Confrontation**

Master Junzo credited Hazel's sickness, her constant researching, her wandering the halls as if lost to grief. He knew that while Hazel was young and relatively new to Kamar-Taj, she'd cared so deeply for the Ancient One that she'd been willing to die to save her in a heartbeat. But Hazel's attitude reached a point where it went deeper than mere denial.

He tried to be sympathetic. Hazel acted upset sometimes, like when she feinted during training. However, a few of her actions, like the things she said or the way she looked at somethings, all attested to a different state of mind. He tried to withhold his doubts, but it bothered him. He had to be sure nothing more was going on, for the sake of Hazel herself and the Ancient One.

_She wouldn't die for me._

Hazel was murmuring quietly to herself and pacing in a corridor when Master Junzo found her.

"Miss Grace, I didn't think you'd be out this late."

Hazel jumped and whirled around to face the master.

"Master Junzo," she bowed her head politely.

"Are you lost?"

"No," she lied.

Master Junzo narrowed his eyes. "Do you need me to take you to your room?"

"No!" Hazel blurted out. If anyone went to her room, anyone at all... "I don't need your help. I was just heading to the library anyway."

"Mind your tone," he reprimanded.

Hazel struggled to look like she wasn't lying to him, but it did little good. She'd forgotten about his abilities, just for a second. Master Junzo continued.

"You've been acting disturbed lately. Are you sure everything is alright?"

"What kind of question is that, with the kind of situation we're in?" Hazel asked.

"I only wanted to make sure there was nothing more on your mind. Something that you haven't told us."

Hazel gave him an odd, wide-eyed look. "What, am I a suspect now?"

"I never said that," he denied levelly. He didn't know where she got that idea. "But if you know something that you're not telling us-"

"Don't you think I would tell you?" she demanded.

"I hope you would," he said, his growing impatience apparent in his tone.

Hazel tried to manage her sudden anxiety. What had she done wrong? Did she slip up while he was in the room? Thankfully, Master Junzo continued before she had a chance to say anything she'd regret.

"You spoke the truth during the council the other day," he said. Hazel began looking around. If he found out anything, he'd kill her on the spot. She was sure he would. "Since when do you believe the Ancient One wouldn't sacrifice herself for you?"

Hazel clenched her teeth. So that's what this is about. "She wouldn't. You know that."

"But you never thought that before," he insisted. "You were constantly worrying over her, ensuring that she didn't do any such thing. You were convinced wholeheartedly that you were seeing her die and that you had something to do with it."

"So what?!" Hazel felt a pang of something in her chest. Her voice raised. Maybe she could get away if she drew attention to herself. "Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm lying. The Ancient One doesn't care about me, Junzo. If she did, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"And I want to know _what_ made you think that." The master was getting frustrated now. Hazel shrank back as far as she possibly could. She couldn't look at his vulture eyes anymore. "You're hiding something. You know something about the Ancient One that you haven't been inclined to share, and that gives me a familiar sense of betrayal. I'm sure the other masters will feel the same when I bring it to their attention. I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I expect you to be as attentive as anyone in this situation."

Hazel glanced over his shoulder, relieved when she saw none other than Master Mordo moving to join them. Hazel faced Junzo, and she might've been looking in the direction of his eyes, but she didn't see anything. It was like her gaze was turned inward, as if hiding in the depths of herself would reverse this situation.

"Look," Hazel sighed to calm herself. "I'm sorry that Reiko got hurt because of me, and I'm sorry the Ancient One got hurt because of me. But I swear to you, I'm doing all I can."

She turned away from him and bolted down the corridor, ignoring the two masters calling after her. Mordo had finally reached Junzo and was now staring incredulously at the other master.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

"I had to make sure..." Junzo stared after Hazel. "Her behavior lately has been... questionable, don't you think?"

"She's _confused._ She's _sick_ ," Mordo argued. "She's no more knowledgeable about the Ancient One's whereabouts than the rest of us, and you're trying to peg her responsible as you always do. Perhaps she's giving you answers she's not very sure about; we're _all_ unsure right now."

Junzo wanted to argue, but what place did he have to put faith in a gut feeling and a nightmare he had?

Mordo gave him a level stare. " _Don't_ let our order be divided over this."

Once Hazel was sure the masters weren't following her, her pace slowed to a walk and she continued wandering the halls. Since she didn't have any leads, and the masters would probably be more alert of any Guest she brought on sanctuary grounds now thanks to Junzo, Hazel figured it best to just go to her room for the evening. But she didn't want to face the Ancient One just yet... Luckily for Hazel, another opportunity presented itself.

She reached the library before anything else. She ducked in as quietly as she could and made sure not to make an appearance of herself as she calmly perused the spines of tomes on the shelves. She'd already been over the most obvious choices, (history books, mostly, about the masters and sorcerers previous), but had yet to find anything useful. However, her search was cut short when she felt an invisible force pulling her into the other room.

For a second, it was as if she'd heard someone call her name, but a moment later, she remembered where she was and what she was doing. Hazel glanced over her shoulder, ensuring no one was watching her, before slipping into the master's section of the library. She wished she could've just asked Wong to help her find something here, but she was leery of all the masters after her confrontation with Master Junzo. Wong was willing to let her check the _Book of Cagliostro_ because he didn't have a reason to doubt her before. Now that Junzo had quite possibly—almost undoubtedly—told all the other masters of his suspicions, Wong would interrogate her almost as fiercely as the austere master had before letting her look at anything.

Hazel stood before the Ancient One's private collection, gazing at each book as she passed. When she reached the middle of the rack, she paused. She heard the call again, clear as day now.

_Dahmaan, Kruziik._

Her stare sharply traveled to the center of the highest rack. The leather-bound book embossed with dragon runes and a single, luminescent purple rune on the front, the _Tome of_ _Dahmaan_ , spoke so softly yet so severely to her that she nearly quaked. Hazel quickly snatched it from the rack and brought it to a table in the corner.

**Plan  
**

Fifty two hours. It felt like a lifetime. Once the clock stroke past midnight, the Ancient One realized that on some calendars, it could be considered three days. Little thoughts like these came and went and were the only thing in the Ancient One's mind that she had to occupy herself. Still, it was hardly enough. She was dizzy and everything ached; her head pounded sharply and she felt nauseous from hunger and thirst and possible sickness. She could no longer sit upright, so instead she curled up on her side, facing the door and the bed in case Hazel came back. She stared straight ahead until her vision began to blur and refocus at unpredictable intervals.

How long had she been lying there? How long had Hazel been gone? It felt like too long, longer than before... The Ancient One only became fully aware again when a clattering sound from the other side of the room caught her attention. She raised her head, shoulders tense as if she could protect herself. Then a flash of silver caught her eye. The knife that Hazel had so carelessly discarded on the other side of the room was moving on its own, rolling and flicking over the hardwood floor towards the trap.

A delightful adrenaline rush gave the Ancient One the strength to sit up again, and she eagerly leaned forward and reached a hand as far out as she could within the trap, palm-up and waiting on the ground for the knife to make its way to her. To think, her dagger was so loyal to her that it would develop enough sentience to move of its own accord! The Ancient One greeted the blade gleefully and reverently as soon as it met her waiting hand. She'd kind of lost sensation in her fingertips, but that hardly mattered as she held her dagger close for a moment, whispering a soft word of thanks to it. She was going to be free, she just needed to raise the dagger and—

She felt the sharp pain in her stomach before she processed what she'd done. The Ancient One looked down, her hands still clutching the handle of her dagger that was now lodged in her abdomen, just below her ribs. What had she...? Of course. _You have to name them_. The Ancient One held the dagger as still as she could and let out a defeated sigh. It would only be a matter of time before Hazel found her, then they could address this. It wasn't like she could tend to a knife wound on her own in this situation, so it was best if she just contained the blood and left it.

Then a hand that didn't belong to her snaked around her middle from behind—two hands, arms wrapped around her firmly to keep her in place. The hands folded over those of the Ancient One and wrenched at the handle of the dagger.

"Don't!" the Ancient One shouted, more from panic at the thought of bleeding out than pain. The hands only held faster as a familiar voice hissed in the Ancient One's ear.

"Shut up, I'm helping you."

Once the dagger was wrenched free and taken away from her entirely, the Ancient One scrambled to gather loose ends of her robes to hold against the bleeding wound. She couldn't bleed out like this, she could stop the bleeding, she _had to_. She was so focused on try to pack the wound that she didn't realize someone was watching her from the desk. A moment more passed, then the figure spoke again.

"Stop struggling like that. You're alright."

The Ancient One stilled and looked up. A girl was sitting on the desk, slouched over with one leg folded beneath her. She wore blue acolyte robes, and her long, tangled black hair was full of twigs. For a moment, the Ancient One thought she was looking at Hazel, but something was off about her. Her eyes were a light bluish green, and her expression wasn't like anything the Ancient One had seen on Hazel. But as the Ancient One stared into the gentle, unsettling, patient, ageless eyes of the creature, the Ancient One felt an almost staggering sense of comfort. She looked down at her hands which were now covered in blood that came from nowhere. The wound on her stomach had disappeared entirely, healing as if she'd only dreamed of it. The Ancient One looked up at her company again, fully aware of who she spoke to.

"You're Planchette."

The creature on the desk smirked and nodded, and the Ancient One felt relief and unease wash over her in an ebbing tango. She didn't question the deity. She didn't want to seem proud in front of something so old and so real—especially in her position. Planchette had already proven herself.

Planchette hopped off the desk and retrieved a glass of water from the windowsill. She knelt by the trap, sitting beside the Ancient One instead of behind or before her, and offered the glass.

"Here, drink something," she murmured sympathetically. The Ancient One eyed the glass and the girl. Planchette didn't seem offended or affronted by the doubt; she slowly wrapped an arm around the other's shoulders and held the glass to her lips. "Drink," she said softly.

The Ancient One almost gagged from the shock of the cold water finally meeting her tongue, but she managed to do as she was told, drinking most of the glass before Planchette pulled it away.

"Good," Planchette sighed, getting to her feet and placing the glass by the window again. "You need to be prepared for the next time you speak with Hazel."

"You're not going to kill me?" There was a tug at the corner of the Ancient One's lips. "I'd expected an agent of Oriishii to bend to Hazel's whims. You're from her mind, after all, aren't you?"

"They're influenced by her state of mind," Planchette clarified, "but I am an independent entity from Hazel and Oriishii."

When Planchette glanced at the Ancient One again, the Sorcerer Supreme was staring intently at her like Planchette was a particularly fascinating dog she'd just come across.

"What?" Planchette asked, the corner of her mouth turning up sheepishly. "Not scared anymore?"

The Ancient One shook her head. Planchette's smirk became more confident.

"Good. We have work to do." She turned to the desk and examined the papers and open books left there. Sketches and notes regarding Oriishii's monsters, creatures made of leaves and clay, and of course the bastard Fenrir they'd sent not so long ago. Alongside the notes, lines drawn across paper, connecting parts of Oriishii to the Ancient One in a flawed mind map of information.

"Hazel's losing her mind."

"She thinks I'm from Oriishii." The Ancient One was careful not to say _what_ she was from.

"I know what you're from," Planchette turned to look at her again. "Or rather, kept up by. I spoke to Dormammu."

The Ancient One regarded her rather cautiously. She had no higher ground in this situation, but she was still compelled to protect herself and her secrets. Planchette's expression softened.

"Relax," she shrugged. "What do I care if you draw power from the Dark Dimension? You never hurt Hazel or anyone else. And, if we play our cards right, Hazel will feel the same way."

Planchette moved to stand on the bed and inspect corners where the walls met the ceiling.

"So you made sure of my secrets before coming here," the Ancient One said.

"Oh, no. I just happened to find out." Planchette plucked a spider from its web in the corner and kept it in her hands. "This was a while ago, during the _Tangahshii_. I asked a few questions, and I brought Hazel to Kaecilius."

The Ancient One pressed her lips together to ensure she wouldn't say something completely out of line. After a moment, she could articulate her thoughts in the least offensive way possible.

" _Why_ would you do that?"

"Because the Dark Dimension _is_ Oriishii's most frequent inspiration," Planchette replied, glancing up from the spider she'd taken to stroking affectionately. "The masters would suspect her soon enough. I needed a way to prove her loyalties, and I knew she'd be safe with Kaecilius. He may be lost, but he would never harm a young girl he has no business with."

That was true. Planchette grew to know Kaecilius of her own accord. Dormammu wouldn't have cared so much for his followers.

"But why would you do this during the _Tangahshii_?" the Ancient One pressed. "You knew she wouldn't have been able to complete the ritual. She could've been _taken_."

"But she wasn't," Planchette asserted. "You understand that someone involved with the _Tangahshii_ is taken away eventually, even in death. If I broke the chain before she died, she'd be better off. Besides, she was safe here. You're the only other living, _human_ magic practitioner who knows the _Tangahshii_."

The Ancient One raised a brow and watched Planchette put the spider on the desk and let it skitter away.

"My plans may be complex," Planchette had a faintly unsettling smile on her face. "But they usually work one way or another."

"You killed Kenzo."

"He asked it of me," she replied smoothly. "And I wouldn't turn down a sacrifice in Hazel's stead. He lived a good life. He wouldn't have wanted you to fault me for it."

The Ancient One knew that was true. Even so, she still didn't accept this creature's help without knowing her. Even if she leaned towards helping others, the entity's plans relied on chances and opportunities, not even to mention the risks and costs of said operations...

The Sorcerer Supreme looked upon the higher, much older figure. Powerful, aloof, knowing of the old ways, elegant, surprisingly passive given her nature...

"There's something in you," the Ancient One dared to whisper. "There's something about you that I see in her."

Planchette gave the Ancient One a soft stare. She seemed sheepish again. "Well, I have been teaching her in a thousand little ways since she was a baby."

"But why? Why do you concern yourself with Hazel? What is she to you?"

"She's nothing you need to worry about," Planchette snapped defensively. "She's not some cosmic keystone or a reincarnated deity. It's much simpler than that, _this you know_."

"Then why do I matter in your plans? If Hazel is the one you want, you can help her without me. You know I don't have any time left anyway; it wouldn't matter if I died a few months earlier. Why are you saving _me_?"

"Because she needs you!"

Planchette was trembling like a leaf, but not from fear or rage. Passion. A delicate balance of the two. Her satisfaction was her air to breathe. Why did she care so much? Her voice was a whisper now.

"Because I love her."

The Ancient One speechlessly watched the creature kneel once more. Planchette gave her a meaningful look.

"And the world needs a Sorcerer Supreme right now," she concluded. She took the Ancient One's hands. "Believe me. I want to make this right, if you'll let me."

The Ancient One glanced sideways, surprised at how much she was allowed. Perhaps oppression wasn't universal in such powerful deities.

"You said I need to speak to Hazel?" she asked, turning back to Planchette.

Planchette sighed and straightened. "That's why we need to correct Hazel. She needs to know that whoever you are, whatever you are, you are not part of Oriishii."

The Ancient One watched her stand and return to the desk.

"She won't believe me. We've argued this several times over already."

"Which is why we need to fix that. Oriishii is fussy about his own integrity. He'd send someone to set her straight eventually, but I think we can pull something off with minimal losses."

"What do you have in mind?"

Planchette narrowed her eyes at a note on Hazel's mind map. _Big dog_ _. How did the wounds heal themselves? Was it all a show?_

"Hazel Grace thinks you put on a show with that beast that attacked you. Her mind isn't weak, but it is easily influenced. It doesn't help that she's still getting over everything that happened this summer. We can convince her of your origin by making it look like Oriishii's agents came to you now while you were vulnerable. Oriishii's creations are a hive mind of sorts; they never attack each other and they usually rescue powerful assets in captivity."

Planchette looked awkwardly to the side as she spoke. She was sheepish, as if she was afraid the Ancient One would argue. (What did it matter if she did? The Ancient One had no authority here, surely...)

"So you want to convince Hazel the battle wasn't a show by putting on a show?" the Ancient One grinned.

"It's deceitful, but she'll buy it. I thought..." Planchette's voice was growing softer, almost hesitant. The Ancient One could see something in her eyes—a tenderness that almost brought the deity to tears. Planchette knelt in front of the Ancient One again, watching her levelly. "If I show you Oriishii's domain, she'll see the difference. She'll know the change, and she'll know that you never were, and never will be, one of us."

The Ancient One nodded seriously, but Planchette herself wasn't convinced yet.

"Are you afraid?" Planchette recoiled. "We can find another way, I think. But I don't know how much longer you have-"

"I'll do it," the Ancient One nodded resolutely. The idea of being tortured in a dream was old to her, by now. And after all she'd been through and all she would go through, sacrificing a little of herself to regain her freedom was worth it.

The Ancient One didn't know how she came into contact with such a being, but she was in the strangest way very grateful that she did so in these circumstances. She reached out, wanting to touch Planchette just once, but the barrier stopped her. Planchette took her outstretched hand and scooted closer until she was partially inside the trap. She held the Ancient One's hand against her face very briefly.

"It'll just be a dream," she murmured reassuringly. "Just a nightmare. It's easy to get over, in a way."

The Ancient One nodded. She'd seen such strength from Hazel; she could do this. She slowly lied back down, releasing Planchette and staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take her. However, she never lost consciousness in the typical sense. She blinked, her breathing slowed... Then an invisible, heavy sheet settled over her, and the Ancient One found herself suddenly unable to move or speak no matter how hard she tried. Sleep paralysis. An inability to move, most likely caused by a disturbed cycle of REM sleep, often accompanied by vivid visual and auditory hallucinations. Most episodes would only last a few minutes at most, but as the Ancient One had said before, the mind thinks faster when it's asleep. A fit like this, although brief in reality, could last for hours in another.

And Oriishii's domain was one of those realities.

The hallucinations began, and the Ancient One, despite her logically knowing that this was a mere dream and she would wake and everything would be better in the morning, felt a spreading cold of terror in her chest and limbs. She could only hope this didn't last too long.

**_Dahmaan_ **

_Dahmaan, Kruziik._

She'd heard these words before.

Hazel paged through the _Dahmaan_ feverishly, searching for any likeness of the Ancient One or Oriishii. She'd seen the Ancient One's dragon form—she knew the Ancient One had to be in here. However, the entire tome was convoluted with so much extra information she could hardly wade through it. She was running out of time.

" _Ataashii_ ," Hazel spoke. The book flipped to a page with an image of an eldest dragon perched on a precipice. The dragon was bipedal and winged, and its shimmering scales seemed so lifelike that Hazel was almost afraid to touch the page. Hazel skimmed the page, translating in her first language as she could. "The highest in an order. The notable line of _Ataashii_ of the dragon cult ended with _Nementhiir_..."

Hazel leaned back. " _N_ _ementhiir_."

A few more pages flipped. The dragon depicted was gold, not silver, and had horns and a grotesquely muscled figure. Nothing like the lithe, antlered creature she'd spoken to at night...

" _Oriishii_ ," Hazel spoke. It sounded like a dragon name.

The pages fluttered loudly as they rapidly turned to the article about the Oriishii. The article detailed several other dimensions, (the Dark Dimension among them), that the dragon cult had been involved with at one point or another. The Dream Dimension, and Oriishii's domain as a sub-dimension of sorts, a part of it. In contact between the 11th and 15th century.

"How old is she?" Hazel mumbled to herself. " _Giin._ "

The pages flipped again. An article of the possessive nature of dragons.

"Dammit," Hazel cursed. Of course the book wasn't writing itself as the dragon language was revived. What else was there. Hazel leaned forward and began paging through the book manually again. "What's the word for ancient...?"

The book suddenly ripped itself out of her grasp, shuffling pages so forcefully that Hazel startled back. It finally froze at the last page of the book. The page itself was made of wrinkled, tea-stained parchment. All the other pages were cleaner, pristine despite their age, but this page was bonded to the book like it belonged there. And on the surface, runes in black ink stood out dominatingly.

_Dahmaan, Kruziikga._

_Remember, Ancient One._

These words again, spoken in Hazel's head in a foreign voice. Deep and gristly, commanding and patronizing all the same. Hazel absorbed its meaning into her being, breathing and translating in her head as she was overcome with this fervent and final passage.

_Dahmaan lein ni hiin._

_Remember the world is not yours._

The same passage came to her the first time Hazel set foot in this library. The message so arcane and obscure that she hadn't thought to think anything of it at the time. Now, she felt like she could understand. She was so close to understanding... The words became faster and more apparent to her.

_Dahmaan lein saal hi los fin Vokun._

She dare not say the words out loud, but she felt them, took them in and trapped them in the cage of herself so that they may never escape her or be carelessly revealed to anyone ever again. She knew now.

_The world said you are the Darkness._

Hazel threw herself forward, bracing her hands against the desk and calling the name at the top of her voice before she could forget it.

" _Kruziikga!_ "

In a flash of iridescent light, the library around Hazel was torn back like the pages of a book. Hazel didn't know where she was; she couldn't perceive anything about her new surroundings, she could only see the great beast before her. The dragon Ancient One, so familiar to Hazel yet the girl felt like she was seeing her for the very first time.

The dragon was silver and serpentine, with four slender, willowy legs and a pair of twisted antlers on her head. Her head itself broad with a short snout. Her spine arched at an angle just above her back legs, like the hunched back of a cat, and a mane of coarse but flowy hair danced along her neck at the spine in the harsh wind. Hazel supposed she didn't look much like a dragon at all. Actually, she looked like a rather absurd thing. But the Ancient One's eyes were ageless and unsettling and entirely hers—intense and the color of labradorite.

"You know me," the Ancient One said.

Hazel shook her head. Her eyes were filled with tears. "I don't."

"You _know_ me," the dragon insisted, then raised her small head, her long neck curving elegantly as she turned her gaze somewhere to the side. Hazel looked with her, rubbing tears away as she did so. On the left horizon, the moon, full and larger than Hazel could've ever imagined it, rose over a gently rippling pool. That's where they were standing; the world was just still water under a pale peach sky.

" _Haalaan_ ," the Ancient One's voice was harsher than Hazel had ever heard. Hazel looked at her instantly. The dragon only stared at her sternly before turning away, lunging into flight towards the moon and leaving Hazel shaking in the wind.

"Hazel!"

Reiko's shouting drew the attention of the librarian. Wong rushed to the master's section of the library, where he saw Reiko kneeling next to Hazel, who was lying flat on the ground and struggling like she was in the midst of a nightmare. The _Tome of Dahmaan_ lied open on the table before them. Wong quickly closed the book and knelt on Hazel's other side. Her eyes wheeled wildly, her arms and legs tensed and coiled like she was writhing in pain.

Reiko held Hazel's head in her lap and gripped Hazel's wrists, all the while murmuring frantic reassurances. Not a moment later, Hazel's seizing stilled, and she was left breathing quietly and staring at the ceiling in a state of apathy.

"Hazel," Reiko took her shoulder. "Hazel, say something."

Hazel glanced at her and sat up, putting her head in her hands.

"You shouldn't have been reading that book," Wong scolded. "You may speak the dragon tongue, but you're not strong enough to withstand the effects of reading that book! You know the dragon language is imbued with magic. Even if you never spoke a word, you were casting all the same."

Hazel stared forward, focusing more on remembering what she'd just seen instead of listening to the others berating her.

"Hey," Reiko quietly brought Hazel back to the present. "You still look out of it. Are you feeling okay?"

"Fine," Hazel sighed and turned to hug Reiko and tuck her chin on Reiko's shoulder. Reiko hesitantly returned the embrace, running a hand down Hazel's back in an attempt at comfort. She didn't know what was bothering the girl so much.

Hazel raised her chin slightly and cupped her hand by her mouth to whisper in Reiko's ear.

"The Ancient One is gone," she said, then pulled away entirely. Reiko gave Hazel a wide-eyed look as the girl dismissively got to her feet and started walking.

"What do you mean?" Reiko mumbled.

"Hazel, wait," Wong stood.

Reiko rose and turned to Wong in a slight panic. "Wong, what does she mean the Ancient One's gone? What happened?"

As Wong had to stay and handle Reiko, Hazel could make her escape without further questioning or scolding. She had to get back to her room. She had to end this.

**Break**

The Ancient One had seen countless terrible worlds, but none distinguished themselves as much as Oriishii's domain. It was a nightmare world, so isolated and frightening that the Ancient One felt like it was made just for her, yet at the same time bland and empty and, for lack of a better word, so generic it could've been anyone's worst nightmare. Perhaps that isolation made the world stand out.

They were still in Hazel's bedroom, it seemed, but the room was off. Lit harshly by a single candle, the shadows on the brick and wood walls created a sickening contrast in the environment. The floor beneath the Ancient One was bare now, revealing the crimson trap seal she'd been bound by. The furniture was gone. Aside from the tearing of clothes and flesh, the room was consumed by a disturbing Quiet—the kind that sound couldn't traditionally pierce through. The world felt still and lifeless like an unborn child; there was no life and never would be and the bleak atmosphere was one of dread and death and grief.

In her state of paralysis, the Ancient One couldn't flinch or even scream as Planchette did what she did to her. At one point, the Ancient One managed to turn her head. She saw herself in the mirror, but her reflection writhed and screamed silently. Was that truly her, or just a copy of her?

Planchette wrenched the knife in her stomach.

"You think you know what this world is?" she demanded in a yell. "Look out that window and tell me what you see!"

The Ancient One's head jerked to the other side outside of her own accord. Her gaze found the window, and beyond that, nothing but a void. And if she were allowed to wander, she wondered if she could populate the darkness with anything. Even the dark dimension had _something_ to it—shapes and motion and bolts of pain. But this world was devoid. And everything around her seemed like an empty shell being pulled down, down, and farther and farther down at a dizzying rate. Never to land, eternally sinking into this endless, empty domain. Even darkness had no place here.

She felt Planchette's thin fingers snatch her jaw again, forcing her to look up. She felt hands of the void and all the creatures in it all over her, pressing her and pushing her as if they were trying to make her fit into a tighter space. A thousand little voices, some whimpers, and others agonized screams. One blaring loud, words drawn out until coming to abrupt stops, long pauses between the words as if this thing didn't know how to properly speak.

There was nothing.

"Say it," Planchette whispered, and her voice silenced the cacophony. The Ancient One didn't respond, and as Planchette looked into her eyes, she saw that the sorceress was just as listless as the world she was currently in. The Ancient One felt a little rueful, in a way, and a little smug in herself and her falling. She broke because she had to. This was the only way.

Planchette's expression was broken and sympathetic as she slowly released the other.

"Good."

The knife disappeared, and Planchette covered the imaginary wound, fingers massaging the skin through yellow robes tenderly. She leaned down until she was lying beside the Ancient One. They hadn't returned to the real world yet, but this dimension suddenly felt a lot less scary. Sure, it was barren and quiet, but the bleakness gave them some much-needed peace.

The Ancient One gasped as the paralysis over her body suddenly broke.

"Are you feeling better?" Planchette asked in a whimper. The other rolled onto her side to face Planchette and nodded quietly. She couldn't keep her eyes open. All she wanted to do now was rest. But since she was sleeping already, she supposed there was nothing more she could do. She held Planchette's clothes, realizing that the spirit had fashioned a layered collar of gold no so unlike the collar of the Ancient One's robes.

"Are these Hazel's?"

"If this works," Planchette said. "Perhaps."

"It's cold..."

"Hazel will return shortly," Planchette murmured. "She'll cover you." She put a hand on the other's face. "You have a fever. Dehydration is finally getting to you."

The other nodded, and for a moment, strangely, she felt more herself than she had in days.

"So it seems."

Planchette looked into the other's eyes.

" _Giin_ , if this doesn't work, you need to expel Hazel Grace," she said. "Even if she releases you. If she has no sympathy, she can't stay at the sanctuary. She's just too dangerous."

The Ancient One nodded dejectedly. "I understand. Although, I've always been one to keep my enemies close."

"It hardly matters. She'll calm down if she's removed from this place." Planchette ran her fingers along the pale skin of the Ancient One's hands. _She's almost blue now._ "She'll stop fighting. She'll stop looking for new magic. She'll have to go home and confront the real world, and she'll get so busy she won't have time to torment you anymore."

"I see..." Something about how Planchette talked about Hazel's home unsettled her. "If this doesn't work, would you take her?"

"Why should I?" Planchette wrinkled her nose.

"Because she's a young, talented, powerful, stupid girl," a smile played on the Ancient One's lips, "and things like us love those."

Planchette gave her a broad ghost of a smile, and for a moment, the Ancient One caught a glimpse of her true form, powerful and terrifying and _beautiful_. The Ancient One shut her eyes, unable to stare at the creature or even get a good look at her. But she heard Planchette give a soft chuckle and felt cool lips press against her forehead.

"Get some rest. Hazel will be here shortly."

And then the Ancient One was alone again, and she felt relieved in her solitude and empty in Planchette's absence all at once.

**Bleed**

When Hazel returned to her room, the Ancient One was curled up on the ground, covered in bruises and blood. The Ancient One saw how Hazel struggled to look indifferent for a brief moment before the facade collapsed. She watched Hazel carefully as she moved about the room, shedding her bag and collecting a basin of water, rags, and a pillow. Hazel didn't even check to make sure she didn't have any weapons on her before kneeling on the edge of the trap.

"Sit up," she murmured quietly. The Ancient One stuck an arm underneath herself weakly and propped herself up momentarily, and Hazel set the pillow down for her to lie on. The Ancient One watched Hazel in leery disbelief. Was this another doppelganger here to mock her?

It felt like Hazel's hands, as the girl wet rags with water and used those to clean the blood from the Ancient One's arms and face. She was gentle, but deliberate, not at all shy in how she moved. Her gaze was fixed on her work, but her eyes were... they weren't the _same_ , but they were _real_. They were warm.

"Hazel?" the Ancient One whispered, her voice rasping and reedy from her dry throat. The girl's hands stilled, and she looked in the sorceress' eyes for the first time that evening. The elder didn't have the energy to question it anymore; she simply went limp and relished being treated gently as much as she could manage in this situation.

"Your hands are freezing," Hazel held one of the Ancient One's clammy hands in both of her own. She felt ill. She didn't know the Guests would go this far. The hand pulled away. Hazel sighed. "I think Master Junzo knows I'm lying about keeping you here."

She expected a reaction out of the Sorcerer Supreme. Panic, maybe, or startling upright and demanding to know if Hazel had told him anything. After all, her own secrecy was invaluable to her. However, the woman just lied listlessly there.

Hazel wiped some blood from the Ancient One's forehead. She could only think of what she saw in the library, and she trembled all the same. Hazel glanced at her neglected blade on the desk.

The Ancient One watched Hazel drowsily. Her vision went back to blurring and refocusing. Hazel disappeared and returned, holding something sharp and silver in her hand.

The Ancient One felt one final impulse telling her to fight, but Hazel was too quick for her. The girl drove the blade of her knife straight down—straight through the rug and the trap seal beneath it, breaking it. The Ancient One jolted upright as she felt all her power return to her in a rush. And it felt like a punch to the gut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break. I kinda spaced out during finals and the holidays. But, since I was taking my time anyway, I made sure to proofread the chapter and rewrite each scene as many times as I needed until I was happy with them. And I returned with a chapter that's over 8,000 words long, so I think that's fair. Anyway, please let me know what you think, and I'll try to get the next chapter up in a reasonable span of time. Thanks for sticking with me this far!


	20. Broken Glass, Open Door

**Rescue**

Three hours, and Hazel hadn't left the Ancient One's side.

When she broke the trap, Hazel brought the Ancient One to the Sorcerer Supreme's personal quarters and retrieved Kai immediately. Needless to say, it must've been a shock for the healer to wake in the middle of the night to find an acolyte dressed like it was the middle of the day claiming she found the missing Ancient One.

Hazel brought him to the Ancient One immediately. He checked the unconscious sorceress over and asked Hazel a lot of questions. And Hazel, despite striving to not incriminate herself or the Ancient One, gave him as much information as she could. Kai deduced that the Ancient One was uninjured but dehydrated, malnourished, and exhausted, but he had no idea how that could've been with the information Hazel gave him.

Each second that Kai took to set up an IV and medication felt simultaneously instantaneous and agonizingly drawn-out. Hazel stood by the entire time.

"It's almost like... she was held somewhere," Kai muttered as he struggled to stick the IV needle in the Ancient One's arm. "Just held. There are no signs of injury or a struggle. If she was traveling between dimensions, and she got stuck somewhere..."

"Can that happen?" Hazel asked, too worried to be hopeful. She held the Ancient One's other hand absentmindedly, stroking the soft flesh of the Ancient One's pale wrist and forearm as if she could will the veins into cooperating.

"Of course," Kai said, sighing with relief when he finally found a vein willing to give blood. "But we won't know anything for sure until she wakes up."

"What are those for?" Hazel fretted as Kai collected a couple vials of blood before flushing the site and attaching a tube connected to a bag of clear fluid hanging on an IV pole by the bed.

Kai tilted the tubes until the blood coated the inside. It was almost like wine-red syrup. "Conducting blood tests on the Ancient One is almost pointless; her immortal physicality makes her a bit of an outlier in the medical field. However, I'm familiar with what's regular for her, to an extent."

When he looked at Hazel again, the girl looked slightly green and stared at the Ancient One as if she was watching an animal being dismembered. Kai reached across the bed to take her hand.

"Hazel." Her head snapped up. "She's going to be alright. She's home now; that's more than we could've hoped for a few hours ago."

Hazel nodded, but her expression crumpled. She doubled over, pressing her forehead against the mattress and holding the Ancient One's cold, limp hand in both of hers, hands trembling, longing to grasp and cling but too afraid of hurting the other more.

Kai left her there. Hazel deserved to grieve, and he'd allow it as long as she stayed out of the way. He never disturbed her, even as she began murmuring what he expected was a prayer in dragon tongue. However, if he knew that she was truly chanting, " _Forgive me, forgive me,_ " then he wouldn't have let Hazel near the Ancient One again.

**Roly Poly**

The masters were each given the news of the Ancient One's reappearance as they woke. Mordo was the first of quite a few to visit the Ancient One's quarters. Once he arrived, he froze in the doorway and almost left entirely. The Ancient One still hadn't woken up—at least not fully—and she still looked sickly, and a part of him couldn't bear to see her like this. However, after some encouragement from Kai, Mordo tentatively joined the healer by the bed. He saw a vague person pressed into the corner on the other side of the bed and rightfully assumed it was Hazel.

"She's still unconscious," Kai said. "It will take time for her to recover; she's even too weak to astral project at this point. She was not wounded, however... watch this."

Mordo looked over Kai's shoulder as the healer pressed a hand against her face to turn her head aside. The Ancient One recoiled from the touch and curled up unconsciously, as if to protect herself. Mordo felt that uncomfortable urge to flee again alongside a protective compulsion. She was never a defensive sleeper.

"You think she was injured and then healed before returning?" His voice thin. He wasn't prepared enough to sound reserved at the moment.

"It's one of the many possibilities," Kai admitted. "Perhaps something just scared her."

"What could do this to her?" Mordo whispered in horror.

"I wouldn't know," Kai shook his head. "However, whatever it was, it had to be powerful enough to make her a passive entity. Let's hope whatever it is has lost interest in her."

"Indeed," Mordo nodded, then turned—to leave and check the wards of the sanctuary again, most likely—but a weak voice stopped him.

The Ancient One was delirious and only half-conscious, but she still struggled to wake, mumbling a name under her breath. The other two weren't sure if she was saying "Karl" or "Kai," but either way, they both stood by the bed and each took one of her hands and waited for her to settle down again. Mordo felt absolutely ill seeing her like this.

"Tell me she'll recover soon," he hissed once he and Kai were outside again. Kai gave him a serious look.

"She will if she _rests_ ," he said. "She's almost woken briefly a couple times now. That's a good sign. We just need to give her time. We'll overcome this, Karl."

Although the master was relieved, Hazel Grace was anything but. As soon as the two men left her alone in the room with the Ancient One again, she'd returned to her spot by the bed, holding the Ancient One's hand and reverently and tearfully chanting her prayers for forgiveness again. She let this happen.

**Orient**

The first thing the Ancient One realized as she finally stirred was a dull ache in her hand. Slowly, she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, still too weak to even turn her head. She was in her own room now, in her own bed. There was an IV in her left hand—that's what caused the aching feeling. The Ancient One shut her eyes again and stifled a groan. What had happened to her this time?

A rush of adrenaline hit her, and her eyes flew open as she jolted upright.

"Hazel?!"

Next thing she knew, Kai was right beside her, holding her still by her shoulders.

"Take it easy," he soothed in a near-whisper. He nodded to the other side of the bed. "She's there."

The Ancient One turned her head, and Hazel was indeed asleep in a chair beside the bed, lounged back and exposed and dead to the world. The Ancient One allowed herself to relax then flinched away from Kai as if he might hurt her. Kai released her immediately. She tiredly held her forehead with her free hand.

"What's all this?" she whispered about nothing in particular. Was this just another dream she was having? Or had Hazel truly let her go? No, this had to be real. It felt like too long since the last time she woke; she'd be dead by now if this wasn't real. And she _did_ feel a bit better.

"You were dehydrated, and unconscious," Kai replied. "Hazel found you wandering the halls at about four this morning. Do you remember anything?"

The Ancient One stared at the periodic bruising on her hands and arms. How many times did Kai have to stick her to get this IV in? How many times had he drawn blood already? What day was it? How long had she been trapped?

She needed to speak with Hazel before answering any questions. How much had Hazel told them? What was the lie they were going to make up to cover this up? Hazel had to lie, right? She understood that the Ancient One was keeping these secrets for a reason...

When she didn't answer right away, Kai dismissed the idea of questioning her further.

"Get some sleep," he ordered gently. "You need it."

"I need to speak with Hazel first," she insisted.

Kai raised his eyebrows, but didn't question her. He circled the bed and shook Hazel awake. The girl came to easily enough, rubbing her eyes and stiffening when she saw the Ancient One. The Ancient One gave Kai a nod, and the healer gave Hazel a meaningful look, (how involved had she been in monitoring the Ancient One so far?), before he left them and respectfully shut the door behind him. Hazel already had her hand pressed against the wall to conjure a silencing ward by the time the Ancient One looked at her again. The girl was wide-eyed and frozen like a strange cat in the garden.

Hazel was terrified, and reasonably so.

The Ancient One sat up straight with her hands folded in her lap. Despite looking fatigued and thin and fish-belly pale as she was, she watched Hazel with a steely gaze. Hazel knelt by the bedside without prompting and began pouring a cup of tea from the set on the bedside table with shaking hands.

" _Geinthuriin,_ " Hazel murmured quietly, addressing her properly to lessen the other's anger. However, speaking first only betrayed her own arrogance in her position. Now that she knew the Ancient One's secret, Hazel was a bit stronger than an underling. And since she could say she bested the Ancient One herself... _no,_ she couldn't think like that now.

"What did you tell them?" the Ancient One whispered.

"I said you showed up this morning. You passed out when I broke the trap, so I brought you here and retrieved Kai personally. I doubt you want just anyone to know your... state."

"What can I tell them when they ask where I've been?"

Hazel looked up. "Anything you want. We determined that Kaecilius probably wasn't involved. I proposed the idea you were in another dimension, and Master Sakai bought that. Like I said, a couple masters thought your disappearance was linked to the dream dimension. With that, you're free to let them think whatever you choose."

The Ancient One heaved a sigh. At least she had control over this.

"What are we going to do?"

"You're going to rest," Hazel ordered like she was a doctor or parent. "And I'm going to defend you in every way I can."

The Ancient One gave her a searching look, but Hazel was resolute. The Ancient One raised her eyebrows and took the tea Hazel offered her. After a ginger sip, she made a face. The tea was mostly water. She supposed the tea was only truly there for comfort more than anything.

"I feel sick," she fretted. She'd never been in a devil trap for so long without someone tending to her. Hazel took the tea away and handed her a cup of water. It was miraculously cold.

"Just get some rest," Hazel said. "Let yourself heal. You're back now, and that's enough for things to go back to normal."

It disgusted the Ancient One how Hazel spoke as if she wasn't the one responsible to this. Of course, it was for their own good and the preservation of the Ancient One's secrets that Hazel acted the way she did. If she betrayed a hint of her knowledge, the Masters of the Mystic Arts would be at risk for uncovering the situation in its entirety. Although she'd acted out of place, Hazel was still considerate of the Ancient One.

"... Perhaps I _was_ in the dream dimension," the Ancient One finally murmured, and the silencing ward around them began to dissipate like water evaporating. "I didn't realize how long I was gone. I'm sorry for worrying you, Hazel."

Hazel felt another wave of guilt and dread sour in her stomach. She simply looked at the other and nodded stiffly. She got to her feet and bowed politely.

"I think I'll head to class, if that's all you wanted of me."

"Study hard," the woman dismissed, taking another sip of her water.

**Recovery**

The Ancient One was bothered very rarely as she recovered. Kai maintained her, and Hazel helped periodically to withhold suspicion. Sometimes, whenever Hazel wasn't in the room, the Ancient One noticed a phantom wolf hovering by the foot of the bed to guard her. But other than that, the Ancient One rarely had company. She took advantage of her solitude to rest. She'd feel better in a couple days, Kai assured her, as long as she didn't strain herself. The Ancient One didn't need to be told twice, but Kai was still concerned for her.

The next time Mordo checked on Kai and the Ancient One, he brought a tray of tea for the healer, and possibly the Sorcerer Supreme if she was still awake. He was relieved when he heard the Ancient One had awoken and spoken with Kai and Hazel, even for a short time. The fact that she did so and didn't give any orders to prepare for an attack made everyone feel a little calmer about the situation. However, that didn't mean they were out of the woods yet.

"She's still weak," Kai informed him as he sipped the tea Mordo prepared for him. "And she's refusing food. I think she'll still be in bed another day or two. However, she's lucid again, and strong enough to astral project as she sleeps."

"You don't sound very pleased," Mordo noted. Kai was staring at the space above the Ancient One's bed, a space that was empty in this plain of existence. Mordo soon understood what Kai was referring to.

"She's standing vigil over her body,"Kai murmured. "She hasn't moved from that spot. She's watching for something—she's afraid of something still."

"Did she say anything more about where she's been?" Mordo asked.

"No," Kai shook his head. "She won't talk about it. She said she was in Oriishii's domain, paying respects to that beast that almost killed her. I brought Junzo in here when she was giving her account. He was hesitant to believe her, but she wouldn't go into any details."

"And you won't question her further?" Mordo asked hesitantly. 

"Of course not," Kai agreed. "If we're not in danger, it's not important."

The Ancient One watched them from the astral plain with disinterest. It was good that the Masters of the Mystic Arts didn't plan to challenge her, even if some of them suspected her account of the last few days. Besides, even if they did intend to confront her about it, she was safer here than she'd been in Hazel's room. No one here would threaten to kill her.

The three of them looked up attentively as Hazel entered the room with a wicker basket in hand. The basket was full of tins of tea, oats, and rice as well as unmarked incense, small jars of salves, foreign foodstuffs, a bud vase with blue flowers, and a small, handmade, stuffed wolf.

"Well, the Guests are all up-to-date," Hazel heaved a sigh and set the basket on a chair by the bed. "This was all sent for her."

Mordo picked up the stuffed wolf and turned it in his hands.

"They sent you these to give to her?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hazel nodded. She waved Kai over and showed him the jars. "Some of these are rare or otherworldly. I think most of them are natural medicine."

Kai looked over the contents of the basket with Hazel, while Mordo took the stuffed wolf and nestled it in the Ancient One's arms for when she woke up. From her astral surveillance, the Ancient One managed to smile at the three of them.

**Interrogation**

Junzo just couldn't let it be. The master had waited outside the Ancient One's room for the girl to emerge, and once she did, she drew her away to question her privately. Hazel struggled to be patient through the ordeal. It felt like once he had her pinned down, he would never release her.

"The Ancient One already gave her account," Hazel stated. They kept their voices low so they wouldn't be overheard. "She was in Oriishii's domain. I know it."

"Was she truly?" Junzo asked.

"She was!" Hazel insisted. "What, am I lying about it?"

"You're omitting something!" Junzo snapped in a low tone. "If she was in Oriishii's domain this entire time, why didn't you ever know of it? You're still attuned to Oriishii, regardless of your current relation to him. And if you _did_ know, why didn't you say anything earlier? The Ancient One would've _died_ if she spent even another _day_ —"

"Oh, give it a rest already," Hazel glared at him. "She's here now, and whatever she was off doing is settled now. There's no more danger. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because I want to know," Junzo straightened to stand tall and glared down at her. "I want to know if I can trust you."

Hazel folded her arms and looked to the side with a terse sigh.

"Fine. You want the truth?" she glared at him. "She doesn't _want_ you to know. And I never saw her in Oriishii's domain because I never wanted to look into that world again. But I _know_ she saw him."

"You do?" Junzo's challenge was soft-spoken, almost hesitant. He didn't want to believe her, but he had to.

"Yes," Hazel nodded, then looked back down the hallway towards the Ancient One's bedroom. "I can see it in her eyes; I can tell by the emptiness in them when she struggles awake in the middle of the night. I know what she's seen; it's like having a sister, in a way. She'll get better, but I can't bear to see her suffering."

Junzo glanced away briefly.

"It doesn't matter," Hazel continued with a shrug. "Because she's here _now_. And we need her. It's best we just let her heal, get her back on her feet, and _forget_ this ever happened."

"Did the Ancient One tell you to say that as well?"

"Yes."

The master gave the intricate hallway wall a look of fatigue and resignation, but he agreed. Hazel gave an airy nod and mimicked him, looking to the wall as if there was another person there. Only as she did, Hazel felt an uneasy guilt surround her, as if there was something in the wall that was _staring_ at her...

**Long Overdue**

The next afternoon, the Ancient One was always lucid when she woke up, but Kai wouldn't call her recovered yet. It wasn't like the Ancient One honestly thought herself strong enough to resume her usual routine, but she was eager to put all this behind her. She just wanted to get out of bed and _move_ but Kai insisted she was too weak yet. He was right, of course. She refused to eat or take medicine, and with someone hovering over her constantly, it was impossible to draw power from another dimension to regain her strength like she'd ~~like to~~ _prefer_ to...

She only allowed Hazel to be so near her so often to alleviate suspicion. Plus, having someone that was... _almost_ in the know about her situation made the struggles of her recovery more bearable, in an odd way. At least she felt like she didn't have to convince Hazel of anything. If anything, she was tempted to draw out Hazel's bedside manner for all it was worth.

"How're you holding up?" Hazel asked. She and the Ancient One were currently alone. Hazel had an isolating effect to her. The others trusted her too much. However, Hazel never used this to her advantage, to the Ancient One's relief. After a few times, the Ancient One felt herself grow a little less guarded around Hazel. Not comfortable, not like she was with her friends, but... there were moments of peace that had a place between them. _It was like living with Kaecilius again._

After a moment where the Ancient One didn't answer, Hazel frowned.

"That bad, huh?" she shifted a few things on the bedside.

"I heard you arguing with Master Junzo," the Ancient One noted.

"Yeah, well, he won't be bothering us anymore," Hazel pressed a wet rag against the other's forehead. "Your fever's still kinda high..."

"It's fine," the Ancient One pushed Hazel's hand away slowly. "Sometimes I'm a bit warm. I'd feel better if I could just get up—"

"Well, Kai said you can't leave the fucking bed until you eat something," Hazel said. She stood and moved about the room, doing tens of little things to keep herself busy. Another response of silence from the Sorcerer Supreme. Hazel gave her a meaningful look. "Hey. I know you can't do whatever magic thing you need to because people are watching you."

"And?"

Hazel tentatively set two white ribbon bindchains on the bed beside the Ancient One. The Sorcerer Supreme startled back, affronted by the very idea.

"Let me use the bindchain again. It'll give you my healing factor, I can eat, I can exercise, I can do it for both of us."

"You," the Ancient One spoke so slowly and carefully it made Hazel's skin crawl, "are so insistent on binding me—"

"It's not like that!" Hazel whimpered. "You _need_ to get better."

"Do you truly care about my well-being so much, after what you did?"

"Yes!" Hazel cried. "And I'm sorry! This is all my fault, and I'm sorry."

The Ancient One waited, but Hazel never made a move to touch her. Hazel's voice was soft and slow and it trembled.

"I'm sorry that I... _hurt_ you, and I screwed up your relationship with the masters, and I shouldn't have pried with you so much. But I was so _scared_ that I... I'm sorry, Ancient One. I'm sorry."

She couldn't read the Ancient One's expression. The woman just stared at her and turned away.

"I think... you should go back to class," she said.

Hazel bowed her head in submission and defeat, apologized one last time, and fled the room. The Ancient One continued to stare at the walls, fingers tracing the ribbons Hazel left behind on the bed.

**Made with Milk and Love**

After class, Hazel decided to give the Ancient One space and tended to the sanctuary instead. Usually when she cleaned, she felt all the negativity in a space being cleared away, and Kamar-Taj was left fresh and open again. However, recently, Hazel found she couldn't go anywhere without being injured or humiliated in some way.

She got splinters when washing the walls and floor, but she couldn't find any rough spots to sand down. She nicked her fingers a few times doing the dishes, constantly bumped into walls and furniture, and the stones in the courtyard constantly seemed loose underfoot, resulting in her losing her balance more than once in a number of situations. At one point in time, while Hazel was standing on the roof, one of the tiles dislocated as Hazel was standing on it, and had Lucas and Reiko not been _right there_ , Hazel could've broken something or worse in her fall.

Reiko suggested she keep her feet on the ground from then on. It was a miracle Hazel managed to make a meal that evening without dying in a freak accident.

When the Ancient One awoke again, this time late at night, only Hazel was with her. The Ancient One sat up and stretched, giving Hazel a look.

"What happened to you?" The girl was bruises and bandaged all over.

"A number of things," Hazel replied monotonously, but didn't allow the other to dwell on it as she retrieved a covered tray from the bedside table.

"Did you hurt yourself walking around Kamar-Taj?" the Ancient One asked. It seemed the sanctuary was irritated at Hazel.

"Something like that," Hazel sighed and set the tray in front of the sorceress. "Here."

Hazel had made her a hot meal in bed—fruit from her Guests, toast, and a bowl of oatmeal made with milk and love. For a moment, the Ancient One only stared at the bland but appetizing meal with a pity for Hazel. Whatever her attitude, the girl was really trying to make up for what she did.

The food wasn't the best she'd ever had, but it was good and hot and _so satisfying_.

"How is it?" Hazel asked, pouring a cup of hot tea and setting it on the tray with the rest of the food. She stood again. "I'll leave you to it, then."

"Where are you going?"

Hazel grinned. "Isolating you. I told the others I'd watch you for the night. I'll stand vigil outside, and you can do whatever magic ether thing you need to do. I won't tell anyone."

The Ancient One stared at the breakfast thoughtfully then reached into her bedside table drawer to retrieve two halves of a ribbon.

" _Haalaan_ ," she said, then tossed one half of the ribbon in her direction. "Get enough sun for me tomorrow, alright?"

Hazel let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, then nodded eagerly.

"Of course," she nodded.

**Checked Out**

Over the next couple days, Hazel focused on her studies and taking care of herself. She ate more, did more, bathed, and slept in a purposeful balance. She'd regained the Ancient One's trust just a little, and she made sure not to abuse it.

"You're wearing that again," Stephen noted when she sat down next to him in the study. She briefly followed his gaze to the white ribbon wound around her wrist.

"Oh, yeah," Hazel shrugged. "I found it again. It's kind of a good luck charm or something, so..."

"Your appetites back, at least," Stephen's attention shifted to Hazel's generously filled tray. She'd easily taken twice as much food as she usually did, even when she felt healthy.

"Haha," Hazel smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

The extra food wasn't the only thing Hazel took in excess these days. She cleaned the courtyards and tended to the plants, trained outside, and she was even found napping in the sun on more than one occasion. Her behavior was gluttonous, but every action was carefully measured. There was a definite balance, a deliberate correlation between how much she worked and how much she recovered.

Some people complimented her, and some questioned her, but Hazel was indifferent to all as long as none of them realized she was taking care of the Ancient One from afar through an outlawed binding spell.

**Distance**

All things considered, the Ancient One was back on her feet sooner than Kai expected. And once she was, everything around Kamar-Taj finally seemed to go back to normal. "Normal" of course meaning "how things were before Hazel Grace ever showed up." Some masters didn't even consciously realize it, but things between Hazel and the Ancient One weren't as they once were.

Hazel was overjoyed to see the Ancient One in the courtyard after spellcasting class. Without considering herself, she brazenly trotted up to the Sorcerer Supreme as if nothing was amiss.

" _Giin_ ," she chirped. "It's so good to see you—"

She froze in her tracks as the stones beneath her feet began to tremble in a wordless warning. Hazel stared at the tiles a moment before looking back up at the Ancient One. The woman glanced at the sanctuary carefully before waving Hazel closer. Hazel approached cautiously, as if she expected the temple to kill her on the spot if she laid a hand on the Ancient One. Once she was sure no one saw them, the Ancient One spoke quietly to Hazel.

"Keep your distance for a few days, Hazel," her voice was reserved but not aggressive. She indicated the bindchain on her wrist. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Hazel shrank back and nodded. "Okay."

The screaming of the cicadas in the trees faded for a brief moment, as if the bugs themselves were afraid to further disturb them. It was only August, but Hazel was beginning to think she was overstaying her welcome.


	21. Bowed, Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hazel finally faces the consequences of her actions.

**Invisible**

No one knew what had happened between Hazel and the Ancient One, but the changes in Hazel's behavior were hard to perceive yet impossible to ignore. People saw less of her these days. She still went to classes and trained as usual. In combat class, she didn't conjure weapons, summon entities to fight with her, or shapeshift as she normally did. Actually, outside of spellcasting class, her mystic signature was oddly muted; she would hardly cast any magic at all. It was almost as if she was trying to blend in with all the other students now to make herself invisible from the eyes of the masters.

A couple masters tried to engage her, but her responses were polite and short and betrayed nothing. When Hazel got a call from her friends back in the States, she seemed preoccupied. If it weren't for her reading to and talking to that blue-flowered tree in the courtyard several times a day, they'd think she wasn't feeling herself at all.

The Ancient One was glad Hazel obeyed orders without question. After all that had happened, the Ancient One needed some time away from Hazel's influence to sort her thoughts out and process what had happened. She was glad Hazel gave her that much.

She didn't know what was to be done with Hazel. Planchette's scheme seemed to work. Hazel seemed genuinely repentant when she profusely apologized to the Ancient One, and she'd been sticking her neck out trying to get things back to normal among the masters. By the time the Ancient One was back on her feet, only a few of them still questioned her. And even then, the questions were mild, and the masters were willing to accept vague answers. As for the students, they kind of double took when they saw her, like they hadn't realized her absence until she reappeared, but they'd all assumed she was just elsewhere for a while or hiding away in her room. The Ancient One was greatly relieved. For a blissful moment, it felt like her life could resume normally, and she could put all of this behind her.

But there was still Hazel to worry about. The masters were willing to forget this ever happened, and they no longer had reason to suspect Hazel. Actually, they spouted praise for Hazel constantly now. She was finally coming around to their expectations of what a student of the mystic arts should be. They didn't know any better, so the Ancient One ended up on her own for a time.

**It Doesn't Mean Anything**

Hazel startled awake to her phone ringing at four in the morning. She propped herself up on her elbow and checked the screen before taking the call.

"Mom?" She tried making it sound like she wasn't just asleep. "What's up? ... What do you mean? Yeah, sure, go ahead... I don't know I haven't spent anything this summer." She chuckled. "Yeah, I know. So what's going on?"

After a moment more, Hazel's face fell. " _What_ do you mean?"

Hazel let out an exasperated sigh and glanced at the screen of her phone.

"Yeah," she said curtly. "Yeah, I'll be there... I don't know, I'll need a couple days to finish things here... _Yes_ , important things. Look, you can take what you need from my account. I'll be home as soon as I can... Alright, I'll see you then. Bye."

 

The next afternoon, Hazel knelt on the floor by the window. A sheet of paper was rolled out in front of her, and her hands were nearly black from the charcoal she was using. The drawing was now just a vague outline of a large grey wolf. Hazel's attention never left her work as she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," she sighed.

"Hey, Hazel," Reiko greeted as she peeked her head in the room. Her face lit up when she saw what Hazel was working on. "Wow. Is that Fenris?"

Hazel didn't reply. _You can't watch me while I work._

"Need something?" Hazel asked as politely as she could.

Reiko folded her arms and leaned against the door frame. "Dad's sending Stephen and me into town to get some things. I wanted to invite you along, since you haven't gone out in a while. The Ancient One said it was okay, so—"

"Did she now?" Hazel snapped. Reiko watched her for a moment, then glanced out the window. She put it down to Hazel being stressed about recent events.

Reiko moved closer and sat cross-legged beside Hazel.

"Hey," she said. Hazel refused to look at her. "Is everything okay?"

Hazel shrugged. Reiko smirked ruefully and leaned back on her hands.

"You're not the most open of people when something's wrong," Reiko noted. Hazel shrugged again. Reiko put her hand on Hazel's. Hazel glanced at her uncertainly. "Come with me. You need a break from all this. You've been cooped up in the sanctuary for longer than anyone else. Some fresh surroundings will help you clear your head."

Hazel shrugged. "Why are _you_ so nice to me?"

"Because the Ancient One asked me to shadow you when you came to Kamar-Taj," she replied. "Here, that's basically asking someone to take care of you. I know that we've hit some obstacles, but you're my friend. Come on, let's go out together, just you, Stephen, and me."

It took a moment of convincing, but Hazel eventually, hesitantly agreed.

 

The Ancient One was leaning on the balcony railing, watching Hazel, Stephen, and Reiko cross the courtyard and head out to the streets of the city. The Ancient One gave a sigh of relief, then straightened when another master joined her.

"I trust you're well?" Mordo asked as he joined her at the balcony.

"I am, thank you," she nodded, before turning back to the courtyard absentmindedly.

"Worried about Hazel?" Mordo guessed.

"You could say that," the Ancient One sighed heavily again. She was glad to have her out for the moment, but she knew this was a temporary fix.

"Ancient One, if I may..." Mordo watched her cautiously. "I haven't seen you and Hazel together recently. I would expect her to obit around you like the sun after what just happened."

The Ancient One kept still. He'd noticed how she never spoke to Hazel, but always watched her out of the corner of her eye. He knew something was wrong.

"Yes, well," the Ancient One turned and leaned back against the railing to look up at the temple roof. "Hazel's been distancing herself lately. I suppose she's trying to limit her attachment to me."

"I don't think so," Mordo humbly argued. "She was very involved in your recovery. She was always there, no matter what needed done. She cares for you on a deeper level than before."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Mordo opened his mouth then closed it again. He knew when she wouldn't be sharing her thoughts with him. So, instead of pressing, he politely bowed and left her to her melancholy thinking.

 

The three students were quieter when they returned. It could've been a content quiet, like the fatigue after an exhausting but fun day out, but Reiko and Stephen seemed quiet in a way that was grim and knowing. It was the kind of quiet you get the day after the death of a beloved pet. Hazel and Reiko hugged for a moment too long before parting ways for dinner.

That evening at dinner, Hazel and the Ancient One sat on opposite ends of the table. It was a recent development ever since the Ancient One recovered. They still gave each other meaningful looks, but there was a tension between them that left the room in silence all through meals. That silence, however, was broken tonight.

Hazel dropped her fork and knife more loudly than necessary. She didn't wait for everyone to look up before speaking.

"I'm leaving," she announced. No one said anything for a moment. "I'm going back home in the next couple days."

The others weren't really sure what to say. It was rare for any member of their order to just leave like that. Most people who turned their back on Kamar-Taj did just that, and sometimes masters and apprentices would transfer to a different division of the order, but that wasn't the same as _leaving..._ Even if it had been the plan all along for Hazel to stay the summer and go home at the end of it, none of them had truly internalized it enough to prepare for it.

"It's... a little early, isn't it?" Junzo asked.

"Yes," Hazel nodded seriously. "We're in trouble back home. Some of our horses are sick, so my parents want me to come home to help out. And I probably won't have time to come back before class starts in a couple weeks, so... It's best if I just pack my stuff and go all at once."

"I see," the Ancient One muttered, looking away dismissively.

"Oh, don't be mad," Hazel begged. "I can't help that my family needs me."

The Ancient One hummed. "Well, I've always preferred taking students that have no prior commitments."

"What, did you forget our arrangement already?" Hazel faked shock. "My 'special case'? Or do you truly want me _here_ after all that's happened? _Really?_ "

" _Daargein ni vodah tol_ ," the Ancient One muttered, getting to her feet and walking towards the doorway dismissively.

Hazel slammed her palms on the table. "Don't walk away from me!"

The other masters would've been startled at Hazel's outburst, but what was even more shocking to them is that the Ancient One _froze._ The Sorcerer Supreme never hesitated for anyone after she decided to dismiss them. She was above it, in a way. Hazel Grace shouldn't have had this power over her.

After a moment of internal debate, the Ancient One turned back to the table and crossed her arms.

"Your commitments are none of my concern. If you're leaving, then leave."

"That's all you're going to say?" Hazel murmured.

"I don't know what you _want_ me to say," the Ancient One snapped. "And you have no power over me."

" _Giinta_ ," Hazel chirped.

The Ancient One grasped the fabric of her sleeves until her knuckled turned white and trembled. She looked calm, but the masters knew she was furious. She turned her back to them.

"I expect you'll be gone after tomorrow?" her voice was disjointed, suspended above her anger for a moment.

Hazel looked away dismissively. "Tomorrow night. Of course."

The Ancient One left suddenly as if an invisible chain keeping her there disappeared. Then Hazel left before the masters could scold her for anything she said or did.

**Outlawed**

The exchange between Hazel and the Ancient One greatly disturbed Mordo and Junzo in particular. The other masters were willing to dismiss it as anything, but the two needed to make sure nothing was amiss. They wanted to investigate, but the Ancient One had hidden herself away for the evening and was not taking visitors without good reason, (good reason of the "the sanctuary is on fire/Kaecilius is attacking the sanctums" variety). However, that didn't stop them from conducting research that evening.

The pair had tried rallying other masters, but Hamir and Tashi had no interest in digging further into the Ancient One's affairs. It hardly mattered since Hazel was leaving anyway, they said, and if it was truly a concern, the Ancient One would be doing something about it. Mordo and Junzo had other thoughts on the matter.

When they reached the library late in the night, the library was empty and Wong was thankfully unoccupied.

"It's getting late," Wong greeted. "I doubt you're _both_ here for some light reading?"

Mordo and Junzo exchanged a look.

"It's about what happened this evening," Mordo explained. "Between Hazel and the Ancient One."

Wong blinked and raised his head a little, but didn't seem completely adverse to discussing the situation like the other masters.

"Do you think it's a concern?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"She stopped the Ancient One in her tracks," Junzo stated. "Something _happened_ between them recently. Something's been off between them since the Ancient One disappeared. It could've happened while she was recovering, it could've..."

"What could've happened?" Wong asked. "Hazel has only helped the Ancient One up to this point. The Ancient One could've stopped because she felt obliged to after how much Hazel has done for her."

Mordo was willing to believe that, but Wong could tell the two sorcerers weren't entirely convinced yet.

"Besides, the other masters are right. If it was a concern, the Ancient One would be acting on it."

"What if she can't?" Junzo proposed. Wong raised his eyebrows. "If Hazel truly did something to her and has power over her..."

"The Ancient One wouldn't be able to act on it," Wong finished. "Do you honestly think Hazel is capable of that?"

"Emotionally? Not really," Junzo shook his head. "But physically? You've seen her mystical prowess. She read the _T_ _ome of Dahmaan,_ and Reiko watched her tremble and seize and _maintain her human form_. The Ancient One is the only other I know who can do that, and even so, there's a reason she never reads that book."

"Hazel was never involved with the dragon cult," Wong defended. "The author never knew her. The Ancient One was given the _Tome of Dahmaan_ centuries ago by the author who knew her. Hazel had no place reading the dragon tome, but she wasn't truly involved with it in any way."

"The point still stands," Mordo stated. "Hazel Grace may be young in her practice, but she has the ability to become a formidable sorcerer. Not only that, but she has experience in practices none of us would dare dabble in."

"You're here to research those practices," Wong said.

"Yes," Junzo nodded. "You know all she's read this summer. It's the best starting point we have."

Wong narrowed his eyes. "And what has the Ancient One said about this?"

"We've been over this," Junzo argued. "Will you help us, or not?"

Wong gave the two of them a level stare, but gave in. He led them to the master's section and collected a selection of books Hazel had borrowed over her time there—binding magic and blood magic and pagan rituals, all recorded in black ink. In the end, Wong figured if Junzo and Mordo were worried over nothing, they'd find nothing. And it couldn't hurt to let them look...

**Bindchain**

" _For I dearly love a good harp, said she._ "

Hazel stared at the page a moment longer before closing the book and leaning back against the blue-flowered tree.

"Well, that's it," she sighed. "We're done."

It took a whole summer, but she was glad she could get at least one thing right before she left Kamar-Taj. She expected the tree to be melancholy, of course. It was such a moody familiar; the news of her leaving was sure to upset it. And now that they'd finished the book, there was no real commitment binding Hazel to the tree anymore.

Hazel felt and heard the rush of air through the courtyard. The limbs of the tree creaked and thrashed. Hazel didn't think to move until it was too late. She felt the branches wind around her and pull her back into the tree. The bark behind her opened, and she felt herself sliding back into the dark...

 

"Hazel. Hazel."

Hazel stirred and opened her eyes. She was still under the tree in the courtyard, but the tree was still and she was still here. Master Mordo and Master Junzo stood over her. They were the ones who woke her up. Hazel sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Masters," Hazel nodded politely and stood up. "Did you need me for something?"

"No," Mordo shook his head. "We only had some questions about your... practice."

"Oh?" Hazel chuckled. "Sure."

Junzo looked at the white ribbon on her wrist. "Have you ever practiced binding magic?"

"No," Hazel said. "Well, the _Tangahshii_ was binding, technically, but I didn't know that when I performed the ritual."

"And since then...?"

Hazel tilted her head. She tried to keep her tone level when she replied.

"Why are you asking me this?"

"We have some concerns," Mordo crossed his arms. His confidence in her was plummeting. "About you and the Ancient One."

Hazel's blood ran cold. "So talk to the Ancient One. I don't have to—"

Junzo blocked her way as she tried to flee. "Miss Grace, if you don't answer our questions, we'll be forced to assume your guilt—"

"That's bullshit!" Hazel snapped. "Do you even have an evidence against me?"

"We do," Junzo insisted. "The Ancient One has favored you all summer; it would be _easy_ for you to bind her with an object."

Hazel narrowed her eyes and took a step back. How much had they considered this?

"When she returned, you bound her to yourself and she healed because you were nurturing her. And now you're abusing that power."

"What did I bind her with?!" Hazel demanded. Junzo snatched her wrist and held it up—the white ribbon was plain to see.

"This!"

Hazel yanked her hand out of his grasp and stared at the ground for a second as she tried taking a breath to calm herself. _Shit._ When she looked up again, the two masters were looking at her severely. She was caught. There was no way out of this.

"It's not what it looks like," Hazel shook her head slowly. "Just _listen._ I didn't do this to hurt her."

"What does it matter if you did or not?" Mordo whispered incredulously. Then his voice raised to a shout. "You broke our rules! You bound the Sorcerer Supreme, and you knew better. You had no place, and you have no _right_."

Hazel averted her eyes.

"I've warned you of your arrogance. I warned you not to challenge the Ancient One and you've taken her over. And I can no longer say how merciful she'll be to you."

Hazel was pale as she took another step back. For the first time since they gained each other's trust, Hazel was afraid of them, and rightfully so.

"Just wait a minute," she tried to caution them, but Junzo had already taken her by the sleeve and was dragging her back inside and down the hall towards the Ancient One's rooms. "Just wait a minute! This isn't what it looks like, just let me explain!"

**Power**

The Ancient One was startled when two masters suddenly barged into her study dragging a reluctant Hazel Grace with them. Junzo all but threw Hazel on the ground. Hazel stayed on the floor in a kneeling, bowed position, trembling and averting her gaze from anyone else in the room.

"What is this about?" the Ancient One's voice was almost feeble.

"Hazel has a confession to make," Junzo informed her. The Ancient One's gaze settled uncertainly on Hazel. What had she gotten them into this time?

Hazel was shaking like a leaf. Her voice came out in a mere whisper. "I'm sorry."

Junzo stepped forward and took the bindchain off of Hazel's wrist and offered it on the table in front of the Ancient One. She struggled to maintain a neutral face for a second.

"This girl has admitted to binding you, Master," Junzo said gravely.

The Ancient One's eyes widened just slightly. She turned on Hazel, who was still grovelling on the floor. Hazel gave her a dejected look. The Ancient One waved a hand dismissively at the masters.

"Thank you, Masters. I wish to handle this privately."

The two men bowed and left, closing the door behind them. Hazel remained doubled over for another moment, hands pressed to the floor, and from her hands, a sound-proof ward spread to surround them. Now that they were alone, Hazel no longer trembled, and she and the Ancient One just stared at each other.

"Well done," the Ancient One snapped. "How did they find out about this?"

"I don't know," Hazel said monotonously. "We freaked them out last night during our argument. They noticed the bindchain and connected the dots."

"They're _wrong_ about it, though," the Ancient One argued. "Last night had nothing to do with _this_."

She all but yanked the ribbon off her wrist and paired it with the other. Hazel shrugged.

"So? We're fortunate that's all they found out. They're just drawing from what they saw when you got back."

"When I got back," the Ancient One seethed. "You're right. If they learned what you truly did—"

"Then maybe you should keep your fucking followers on a tighter leash," Hazel got to her feet. "We're lucky they jumped to conclusions, because now I'm taking shit for something _you_ did!"

"I did this to protect you," the Ancient One glared at her. "If it wasn't for this bindchain, you would be dead."

"So would you!" Hazel yelled. "Look, the binding spell isn't the problem. The problem is they found us out. But I'm leaving anyway, so just say I was expelled and keep the chains. Junzo and Mordo will keep it to themselves if you ask, and no one will question _you_. Because you _never_ do anything _wrong_ —"

She'd been stalking towards the other. The Ancient One grabbed Hazel by the shoulder and pushed her back. At once, Hazel felt as if she'd been propelled out of her body—she could feel it, the familiar sensation of being forced out of her body and far away. Her regret was instantaneous.

The feeling of her consciousness being thrown out of her body and into another dimension was so familiar that she knew exactly what was happening. However, this time, instead of being taken to Oriishii's world, Hazel traversed several unfamiliar dimensions. The first was made of bright, refracting glass that spun in and out of shapes like the lens of a kaleidoscope. The next was just a throbbing black hole in space. Another, a tunnel.

She heard the Ancient One's voice as if from a dream.

"You really think so little of my power simply because you _held_ me?"

Hazel appeared in a porous cave. Then she was in an empty space where she saw her reflection over and over again as she continued to writhe against the invisible force that kept pushing her through dimensions.

"Do you neglect to remember how you'd fare against me in a real fight?"

Hazel stilled for a moment in a valley of barren columns of rock. In that valley, two eyeless, hairless, and weathered beasts tackled each other, slinging blood against the columns of rock around them. Then Hazel was moving again.

"You don't know my power. You don't know where I'm _from_."

Most of the dimensions were unremembered to Hazel. They were all so vastly different from one another and she'd seen so little of each of them. But one domain she faced she would never forget. The world reminded her of Oriishii's domain for a fleeting second, then as she was forced to experience it in a blinding second, she longed for the comfort and familiarity of her own devoid, hellish nightmares.

This world was empty, but unlike the content void of Oriishii's world, this emptiness was a hunger, a longing so powerful that it hurt. Hazel squinted, but she wasn't sure if it was because the world was blindingly bright or too dim and hazy to see in. There were masses like asteroids floating in the space. Hazel saw every color in the madness, every jewel tone blended seamlessly together in grim harmony. Then she saw something there—a powerful lord, no doubt. He was so great, so overwhelming that all she truly saw of him was a single, glowing lilac eye. A vulture eye all the same.

The eye squinted, as if the being's face folded into a smirk, then Hazel felt a pain in her chest. For a moment, she thought she was being stabbed by something, but as the sensation lingered, it felt more like something was being drawn _out_... It was feeding on her.

 _Stop_ , she thought.

Just like that, the entire sensory overload of that world was taken away, and she was left adrift in a peaceful sky sparsely populated by stars and planets. Her entire being tingled from the sudden absence of stimulation, and until she heard the Ancient One's voice again, she feared she'd drift away forever.

"I've learned from my mistakes," she said. "Can you say the same, Hazel Grace?"

Then Hazel was back in the sanctuary, kneeling and doubled over at the Ancient One's feet. The Ancient One said something, but Hazel couldn't hear her. She was breathing heavily, and her entire body shook more from exhaustion than fear. Hazel knew the Ancient One hadn't honestly presented her to that monster. It was more like... she _relived_ something.... When Hazel finally had the strength, she raised her head to look at the Ancient One. For a moment, Hazel could plainly see the red mark on the Ancient One's forehead. The same mark she'd seen on Kaecilius. The same mark she'd seen in the Dark Dimension. Hazel's head hung.

"Can I trust you with this?" the Ancient One asked, her threat well-concealed as if they were being monitored again already.

"Yes," Hazel panted. She had no place to say otherwise in her current situation.

"Don't make me regret this."

Hazel curled in on herself, wrapping an arm around her sore stomach.

"I feel sick," she whimpered. "I feel like it took something from me..."

The Ancient One didn't respond. When Hazel looked up again, the woman was holding both halves of the bindchain over a lit candle. In a sudden rush of panic, Hazel managed to fling her hand out to caution the other.

"Wait! What are you doing?!"

"We can't keep it," the Ancient One reasoned. "You know that. If either of us is seen with this again, all of this would be a waste."

Hazel wanted to protest, but the Ancient One had already lit the incriminating ribbon over the flame and set it in a metal dish for it to burn out to ash. Hazel finally let herself go limp with defeat. The Ancient One made sure there was nothing salvageable left in the dish before walking over to Hazel and helping her to her feet. She let Hazel put her entire weight against her and cling to her, trembling like a child. The Ancient One held her securely, but still Hazel trembled. She'd lost everything.

**Aftermath**

After taking Hazel back to her room and ensuring she was feeling well enough to be left alone again, the Ancient One returned to her room and found Mordo and Junzo standing outside the door where she left them.

"Did you tell anyone else?" the Ancient One asked.

"No, of course not," Mordo's voice was quiet. He figured she hadn't taken the situation lightly.

"Good. I've handled the situation. I would appreciate it if you both forget any of this happened."

They looked troubled like they wanted to question her, but the Ancient One continued to reassure them.

"She didn't do it maliciously," she murmured. "Her heart was in the right place, even if her actions were mistaken. She won't do it again."

Mordo looked exasperated. "How many more mistakes are we going to allow her? She's only getting bolder and bolder. She's getting _dangerous_."

"Her arrogance has little to do with it. Her morality is unconventional, but she's governed by ancient rules. As long as she's willing to lean from her mistakes, I'll keep her. And she's leaving anyway. What does it truly matter?"

**Dinner**

Hazel deliberated going to dinner that evening. She didn't think she was well enough to eat anything anyway, and she wasn't sure if she was allowed to dine with the masters as usual. Instead, she let the minutes tick by as she sat in her old room. Most of her belongings were packed away neatly in a backpack and a duffel bag. It would be easy to take it all in one trip when she leaves tonight.

She didn't know how long she was sitting on the floor staring at her empty surroundings before she noticed someone standing in her open doorway.

"Hey."

Hazel looked up lazily. Stephen had his arms gently folded.

"Are you coming to dinner?"

She shrugged.

"Well, you have to eat." He stepped closer to her and offered a hand. She took it and picked herself up, listlessly following him out through the halls. Hazel was surprised when they didn't stop by the dining hall and instead headed up to the master's dining room. Hazel gave Stephen a questioning look.

"They sent me to get you," he explained. "Master Hamir planned something a little special this evening."

"Special?" Hazel dreaded it already.

When they arrived at the dining room, the masters were already there and seated. A couple extra chairs were added to the table, providing room for Stephen and Reiko to dine with them. Reiko smiled and waved Hazel over to sit by her. On the table, the usual spread of rice and vegetables was accompanied by plates of raw vegetables, pot stickers, and meat alongside a pot of bubbling soup stock. In spite of herself, Hazel couldn't help her excitement at the spread.

"Is it New Years already?" Hazel breathed timidly. Hamir smiled.

"I figured you'd like something special for your last meal."

"Thank you..." Hazel still stared at the food.

"Come on," Reiko encouraged. "Let's eat."

It was almost like a celebration. All the tension Hazel and her peers and the masters felt among each other was gone with the wind as they ate and chatted among each other. Hazel's guilt lingered for a while. She felt like she didn't deserve to have a nice meal and celebrate like nothing had happened, but every time she glanced at the Ancient One, the elder didn't seem affected by recent events at all. This meal was an occasion removed from their timeline, and the Ancient One wasn't opposed to letting Hazel have an hour of peace before going home.

The Ancient One watched Hazel as the girl slowly engaged in talking and then laughing with the others. For the first time in days, the Ancient One watched Hazel not out of leery self-preservation, but with despondent resignation. It occurred to her that with all literal ties now severed between her and Hazel, it was very likely she'd never see the girl again.

Perhaps it was for the best.

"No, dragontongue is basically just a string of profanities all put together. Isn't that right, _Giin_?"

The Ancient One blinked, brought back to the present by her name alone. "Yes?"

Hazel snorted. "See?"

**Have I Found You?**

The Ancient One woke in the middle of the night for the last time that summer. She didn't know what she woke up for, and she didn't question it as she donned her robe and wandered the sanctuary purposefully. She was drawn outside, and under the full moonlight, the Ancient One could plainly see Hazel sitting on the roof staring at the moon. The Ancient One joined her, sitting a couple feet from Hazel and appreciating the calm night.

Hazel's voice was thin and weak when she spoke, as if she'd just woken up from a deep sleep.

"I don't think I'm very well, _Hrairoo_."

The Ancient One turned her head. In Hazel's place, a large black and grey dragon lied across the tiles of the roof. She saw very little of the dragon save for it's folded paws and its long, narrow head. _Beautiful golden eyes._ The Ancient One took Hazel's head and put it in her lap, and just like that, the dragon form was gone. Hazel was human again, curled up on her side with her head in the Ancient One's lap.

"I really don't want to go back yet," Hazel whispered.

"I know."

A moment of silence. Crickets chirped in the brush.

" _Giin_?"

"Yes, Haalaan?"

"Can I come back? Would you please allow me to come back?"

The Ancient One considered it. She spoke clearly and emphatically, but not sternly.

"Keep your promise, and you can do as you please. The masters may no take you in classes any odd day, but if you ever need sanctuary, Kamar-Taj is always open to you."

Hazel sighed with relief. She curled her fingers in the Ancient One's robes, even when the fabric was soaked with her tears. It was the first time she cried since she released the Ancient One.

"I'm sorry..."

The Ancient One stroked her hair soothingly. "I _forgive_ you, Hazel."

"Why?"

"Because I have to, and you're willing. There's no point in staying angry wit you. And I want to forgive you, as long as I can trust you..."

Hazel sat up and wiped away her tears to look at the other earnestly.

"What does it matter to me if you draw power from the Dark Dimension? I bound myself in blood to a demon. Who am I to judge?"

The Ancient One scrutinized her for a long moment before looking at the moon again.

"We're a lot alike, you and I," she said.

"How so?"

"In our practices, our habits, our histories... I'm glad things worked out like they did, in the end."

Hazel sighed thoughtfully and slouched against the other. The two sorceresses stared at the moon again.

"This was a long fucking summer," Hazel murmured.

"Indeed," the Ancient One finally felt like she could breathe for a moment. "But it never ends. One crisis is resolved, one enemy overcome, but there's always another."

"Of course," Hazel said. "What would life be without that?"

The Ancient One didn't reply. She wanted to say that life would finally be over, but she feared sounding disingenuous given she would die soon. And even then, she didn't want to put that on Hazel. The Ancient One tilted her head, resting the side of her face against the top of Hazel's head.

"I hope I'll see you again before next spring, my love."

Hazel let a smirk tug at her lips. She turned her head to press her forehead against the other's temple, and for a moment, the Ancient One thought Hazel was going to kiss her. But they just remained there until Hazel let out a husky murmur.

"I'll see what I can do."

And then, as soon as she'd done so before, Hazel took the form of a dragon once more and lunged off the tiled roof, and the Ancient One followed suit. The two wingless dragons interacted in an unpredictable but clearly deliberate pattern. They followed and chased one another before breaking away and rejoining later on. Their game continued as they made their way over the city as if this was the only thing either of them wanted in this one moment. And if anyone had been out that night and had looked at the sky, they would've seen the two great dragons furthering their dance to the edge of the city before parting ways for good.


End file.
